Ferris State's Caleb Murphy Tabbed As A Harlon Hill Award Nominee

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Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University standout senior defensive end Caleb Murphy (Dowagiac) has officially been tabbed as a nominee for the 2022 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year.

Murphy, who was chosen last week as the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Player of the Year, is among 48 student-athletes from across the country nominated for the prestigious honor. He is one of only three potential candidates from the GLIAC.

Former Ferris State University quarterback Jason Vander Laan was a two-time Harlon Hill Trophy recipient as the country's top player in both 2014 and 2015 and FSU quarterback Jayru Campbell claimed the distinction in 2018 as a Bulldog player has won the award in three of the past seven years. FSU is one of only three schools in the country to have won the award a nation-leading three times along with Texas A&M-Kingsville and Valdosta State.

Overall, 12 nominees this year hail from Super Region 1 with 11 from Super Region 2, 14 from Super Region 3 and 11 from Super Region 4.

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 January 13, 2023.

The sports information directors at their respective schools 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 group of 48 candidates includes 16 quarterbacks, 10 wide receivers, eight running backs, seven defensive linemen, six linebackers and one punter/kicker.

There list features 35 seniors, seven sophomores and six juniors.

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.

Murphy has had a dominant season for the defending NCAA Division II National Champion Bulldogs. Murphy wrapped up the regular-season leading the country in total sacks with 18 (-136 yards) this year along with tackles for loss with 27 (-153 yards). In addition, he forced a pair of fumbles while playing a pivotal role on one of the nation's top defensive units. The returning All-America honoree has claimed the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week honor three times this year and also been tabbed as the National Defensive Player of the Week this fall. His play helped FSU secure the #2 seed in Super Region Three and earn the program's eighth consecutive NCAA Division II Playoff berth.

Ferris State, which beat Davenport in the first round of the D2 Playoffs 41-7 this past week, will host Pittsburg State in the second round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs on Saturday (Nov. 26) at Top Taggart Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. (ET) and tickets can be purchased in advance online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com/Tickets.