LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A trio of Gulf South Conference football student-athletes were among those announced Monday, Nov. 21, as nominated for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the Division II College Player of the Year.
Representing the conference was West Florida wide receiver David Durden, Valdosta State quarterback Ivory Durham and West Georgia quarterback Harrison Frost. The three players were among the 11 nominees from Super Region 2 and 48 total candidates nationally.
Durden was a First Team All-GSC selection for the second consecutive season after helping the Argonauts to a 6-1 conference record and a share of the GSC title, while going 9-1 overall in the regular season. The senior was the GSC leader and ranked the nation's top-20 in receiving yards (861), receiving touchdowns (9), receiving yards per game (95.7), while ranking third-overall with 46 catches. Durden also finished the regular season with a Division II-best averaging 20.3 yards per punt return.
Durham finished the 2022 ranking second among league signal callers in total passing yards (2,770) and passing yards per game (251.8), while throwing for a GSC-best 27 touchdowns. The senior also averaged 7.1 rushing yards per carry, which was fourth among GSC leaders, while rushing for 629 total yards and five touchdowns. On the national charts, Durham was among the nation's top-20 in all passing categories, while ranking among the top-10 in total offense, averaging 309.0 yards per game.
Harrison, a Second Team All-GSC selection this year, led the GSC this season in passing yards (3,112) and passing yards per game (311.2), ranking ninth and sixth respectively among Division II leaders. He was also seventh-nationally in total offense with 319.0 yards per game and 16th nationally with 25 passing touchdowns, while being listed second among league quarterbacks completing 244-of-405 (60.2 percent) passes.
The sports information directors at the 164 NCAA Division II football-playing institutions nominate and vote on the award. The 48 initial candidates will be placed on regional ballots and the top two players from each of the four NCAA regions will advance to the national ballot when regional voting concludes on Monday, November 28.
The winner of the 2022 award will be announced on Friday, December 16 and the winner will be honored at the Little Rock Touchdown Club awards banquet on Friday, January 13, 2023.
The sports information directors at their respective schools initially nominate candidates. The SIDs in those Super Regions vote for their top five candidates. The winner is then determined in a nation-wide vote of the Division II sports information directors.
The Hill Trophy is named for the late Harlon Hill - the former University of North Alabama standout - who excelled with the Lions from 1950-53 before going on to fame in the National Football League with the Chicago Bears.