Tusculum's Cordell Named Harlon Hill Trophy Finalist

FLORENCE, Ala. - The field of 28 candidates has been trimmed to nine and Tusculum College quarterback Bo Cordell has been named a national finalist for the 2013 Harlon Hill Trophy, recognizing the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year.

Cordell becomes the first player in Tusculum history to be named a national finalist for NCAA II football's most coveted individual honor twice in his career. Cordell finished fourth in the voting for the 2010 Harlon Hill Trophy.

The finalists were selected by the NCAA II sports information directors in regional voting and will now be placed on the national ballot where all 168 of the division's SIDs will select the award's 28th winner. The top two players from each of Division II's Super Regions advanced to the national ballot, with the exception of Super Region 3 where three players advanced due to a tie in the voting.

The list of national finalists includes: Bo Cordell (QB, Tusculum), Luke Charles (QB, UNC Pembroke), Glen Clinton (TB, Chadron State), Franklyn Quiteh (RB, Bloomsburg), Kevin Rodgers (QB, Henderson State), Tyler Tonderum (RB, Southwest Minnesota State), Dustin Vaughan (QB, West Texas A&M), Rondell White (RB, West Chester) and Jon Wolf (QB, Minnesota State-Mankato).

National voting will conclude on December 7 and the top three finishers will be invited to Florence, Ala. for the presentation banquet. The winner of the 2013 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the 28th annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet on Friday, December 20 at the Marriott Shoals Conference Center at 6:30 p.m.

Cordell wraps up one of the most prolific careers ever by a collegiate signal caller. The Cincinnati, Ohio native (Indian Hill HS) owns 15 NCAA Division II records, including career passing yards (16,265 – 4th all NCAA divisions), career completions (1,397 – 3rd all NCAA divisions), career pass attempts (2,187 – 3rd all NCAA divisions) career total offensive yards (16,432 – 4th all NCAA divisions) and total offensive plays in a career (2,572 – 2nd all NCAA divisions).

Cordell was named the 2013 SAC Offensive Player of the Year, becoming the first TC player to earn the honor multiple times in his career (2010 & 2013). He is also one of only four players in league history to earn Offensive Player of the Year distinction on more than one occasion, along with: Todd Cunningham (Presbyterian – 1999, 2000, 2001), Tommy Laurendine (Lenoir-Rhyne – 1988, 1999) and Jonas Randolph (Mars Hill – 2009, 2011).

It also marked the fourth time a Pioneer has earned SAC Football Player of the Year accolades. All-America defensive back and return specialist Ricardo Colclough earned 2003 Defensive Player of the Year honors, while All-America quarterback Corey Russell was the 2008 SAC Offensive Player of the Year.

Cordell also became only the fifth Tusculum student-athlete to be named a multi-time SAC Player of the Year honoree, joining, Lesley Murray (women's tennis – 2001, 2002, 2003 & 2004), Jasmine Gunn (women's basketball – 2009-10 & 2010-11), Kyle Moore (men's basketball – 2009-10 & 2010-11) and Simon Holzapfel (men's cross country – 2009 & 2010).

Cordell currently leads the South Atlantic Conference in six statistical categories this season including: passing yards (3,920 - 4th in NCAA II), passing yards per game (356.4 ypg – 4th in NCAA II), points responsible for (178 – 28th in NCAA II), points responsible for per game (16.2 ppg – 35th in NCAA II) and total offense (365.1 ypg – 5th in NCAA II). Cordell's 3,920 passing yards are the third-most in school history and fifth-best in SAC history, while his 4,020 total offensive yards are third most in both the TC and SAC record books. Cordell has completed 25 touchdown passes in 2013, which are the third most by a Tusculum player and eighth-most by a SAC quarterback. He owns 13 South Atlantic Conference football records, including career touchdown passes (112) and touchdowns responsible for (127), marks he established in his collegiate finale earlier this month against Mars Hill University.

Cordell, Colclough and Russell are the only three Tusculum players to advance to the Harlon Hill Trophy national ballot. Colclough finished fifth in the national voting in 2003, while Russell placed sixth on the 2008 final ballot.

- Tusculum media relations