Thursday, November 30, 2017

FLORENCE, Ala. – For the second time in his four-year career, Humboldt State running back Ja’Quan Gardner has been selected as a finalist for the Harlon Hill Award.

The senior is one of 10 finalists for the annual honor, recognizing the top football player in NCAA Division II. Emerging from an initial group of 34 nominees, Gardner is one of two players from Super Region 4 and one of three running backs in the finalist group.

The winner will be announced on Fri., Dec. 15, and honored in a luncheon on the campus of the University of North Alabama on Jan. 5.

The 2017 GNAC Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-GNAC selection at both running back and kick return led the league and ranked 10th in Division II in rushing, averaging 125.9 yards per game, while ranking fourth in Division II with 19 rushing touchdowns. Gardner also led the GNAC and was fourth nationally with 192.6 all-purpose yards per game as he added kick return duties to his plate this season.

The Ceres, California, native ends his career as the GNAC’s all-time leader in touchdowns (75), points scored (450), all-purpose yards (6.979), all-purpose yards per game (170.2), rushing attempts (878), rushing yards (5,426) and rushing touchdowns (70).

Gardner was the 2015 runner-up for the Harlon Hill Award, which was won by Jason Vander Laan of Ferris State. He is the third GNAC football player to be named as a finalist for the award and the first to be named as a finalist twice. The other GNAC Harlon Hill Award finalists were Western Washington quarterback Scott Mitchell in 2001 and Central Washington quarterback Mike Reilly in 2008.