UNA's Beck, ATU's Graziano and DSU's Hicks-Green make the regional ballot

Florence, AL-The Gulf South Conference placed three players among the Regional Finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded to the best football player in Division II.

Three seniors lead the way for the GSC on the six-player Super Regional 2 list.  Arkansas Tech and North Alabama each return a quarterback to the list for the second year in a row.  ATU's Nick Graziano and UNA's Harrison Beck represent their schools after transferring from the Division I-FBS level.  A GSC standout linebacker is among the regional finalists for the third straight year.  Delta State's Lardester Hicks-Green became the second Statesmen linebacker to make the regional ballot in three seasons.

A total of twenty-four finalists will be placed on regional ballots with the top two from each of the four regions (Super Regionals 1, 2, 3 and 4) advancing to the national ballot.  The three highest finishers in the national balloting are then invited to the 24th annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet, Friday, December 11th at the Florence Conference Center at 6:30 pm (Central).  The banquet also includes the 11^th induction into the Division II Football Hall of Fame.  The NCAA Division II Championship Game will be played December 12th at Florence's Braly Municipal Stadium at 1:00 pm.

Since the Harlon Hill Trophy was first awarded in 1986, 25 GSC players have advanced to the final ballot, including five winners.  In 2005, the GSC posted two players on the final ballot for the first time ever.  The last GSC honoree came in 2003 when North Alabama quarterback Will Hall became the third Gulf South Conference player in four years to earn the Harlon Hill Trophy.  Other GSC winners include Valdosta State quarterbacks Chris Hatcher (1994) and Dusty Bonner (2000-01) and the only defensive player ever to win the award, UNA linebacker Ronald McKinnon (1995).

GSC HARLON HILL TROPHY FINALISTS

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