November 8, 2003

Miller Candidate for Harlon Hill

Top Player in Division II

            Kearney, NE – Nebraska-Kearney junior running back Mike Miller is one of 24 candidates for the 2003 Harlon Hill Trophy, annually given out to the top player in NCAA Division II.

            Former Loper QB Justin Coleman was a two-time finalist for the award, finishing runner up in 2000. This is the first time Miller is an official candidate for the award. 

             Despite missing one game with injury, Miller ranks second in the RMAC and is in the top 12 nationally in rushing at 126.3 yards per game. His season total of 1,137 yards is the third highest in Loper lore. The Colorado native also averaged 4.3 yards per carry in 2003 and had eight rushing TD’s. As a receiver, Miller had 14 receptions for 126 yards. 

            In 30 career games, Miller has rushed 809 times for 3,838 yards, both school records, and 31 TD’s. He also has 53 career catches for 375 yards and one TD.

            Players are nominated and voted on by the sports information directors at the 156 NCAA Division II football-playing institutions. The 24 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 November 18.

            Joining Miller as West Region candidates this year are Western State junior RB Chaumont Bouknight, Texas A & M-Kingsville senior RB Larry Williams, Midwestern State (Texas) senior QB Phillip Boggs and Tarleton State (Texas) senior QB Cliff Watkins.

            There were 34 candidates initially nominated by the sports information directors at their respective schools and those nominations were then reviewed by the Hill Regional Advisory Committees, which trimmed the list of candidates to no more than six per region.

            The winner of the 2003 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the eighteenth annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet on Friday, December 12 at the Florence Conference Center at 6:30 p.m. This year's Hill Trophy Banquet will also include the fifth induction into the Division II Football Hall of Fame.