Tusculum's Bo Cordell named candidate for Harlon Hill Trophy

FLORENCE, Ala. --- Tusculum College quarterback Bo Cordell has been named one of the 24 candidates in the running for the 2010 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year.  The list of candidates was announced by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee.

The list includes six players from each of Division II’s four Super Regionals.  Players are nominated and voted on by the sports information directors at the 148 NCAA 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 19.

Cordell, a 6-1, 195-pound sophomore from Cincinnati, Ohio, is the nation’s leading passer, averaging 425.8 yards per game, which is currently the second-highest average in NCAA Division II history.  Through 10 games, he has passed for a school and South Atlantic Conference single-season record 4,258 yards, which is also the seventh most in NCAA II history.  Cordell has gone 359-for-554 for 35 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions.

He also leads all NCAA divisions (FBS, FCS, II, III) in passing yards per game, total passing yards, total offensive yards per game (426.8 ypg) and completions per game (35.9 cpg).  He leads Division II in points responsible for per game (25.6 ppg) and is 29th in passing efficiency (146.6) as Cordell hasn’t thrown an interception in his last three games (164 consecutive pass attempts).  Cordell has accounted for 42 touchdowns this year (35 pass, 7 rush), which is the second-most in SAC history (TC’s Corey Russell accounted for 49 TD’s in 2008 – 13 games).

The Indian Hill High School graduate has passed for over 400 yards in an amazing nine straight games, averaging 437.78 yards per contest during that span.  That streak is the longest in TC and SAC history and one of the longest ever posted by a NCAA signal caller.  Cordell has been named the national player of the week on two occasions this season and is a four-time SAC Offensive Player of the Week.

Cordell becomes only the third Tusculum player in school history to be named a candidate for the Harlon Hill Trophy.  In 2003, consensus All-American cornerback Ricardo Colclough finished fourth in the national voting, while All-American quarterback Corey Russell also finished as one of the top eight national finalists for the 2008 award.

This year’s group of 24 candidates includes 15 quarterbacks, seven running backs, one receiver and one linebacker.  There are 13 seniors, six juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen among this year’s candidate pool.

Other Super Regional 2 candidates include: Cody Haffly (Wingate), Nick Hardesty (Henderson State), Stanley Jennings (Albany State), Jonas Randolph (Mars Hill) and Deon Williams (West Alabama).

The winner of the 2010 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the 25th annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet on Friday, December 17 at the Florence Conference Center.  The NCAA II National Championship Game is scheduled for December 18 at Florence’s Braly Municipal Stadium.

Tusculum (6-4, 2-4 SAC) will close out the regular season this Saturday when the Pioneers host Carson-Newman (6-4, 4-2 SAC) for a 1:30 p.m. contest at the Niswonger Sports Complex / Pioneer Field.