Rondell White Named A Finalist For Harlon Hill Trophy

FLORENCE, Ala. –  Rondell White has been named one of nine finalists in regional voting for the 2013 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year it was announced Monday morning.
 
The finalists were selected by the NCAA Division 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.
 
White has put together one of the most prolific seasons in school history while orchestrating an outstanding career by demonstrating versatility rarely seen at the college level. The senior RB from nearby Rustin High School in West Chester broke both the school's single-season rushing record and its all-time career rushing record this fall. He is currently second in the NCAA Division II in all-purpose yards per game.
 
White became just the second running back in school history to rush for more than 4,000 yards in a career during last weekend's 38-7 victory over American International College in the first round of the NCAA II Playoffs. White has now reached 4,000 yards rushing, 2,000 yards receiving and 1,100 yards in returns during his illustrious career. Only former Villanova RB Brian Westbrook (1997-2001) has reached such lofty thresholds in those three categories at any level in NCAA history. White is the first player to do it at the Division II level.
 
White, who was a first team All-PSAC East selection in 2013, has rushed for 1,715 yards and 20 touchdowns in leading West Chester University (Pa.) to an 11-1 record overall and a spot in the NCAA II Second Round playoffs. West Chester's 11 wins tied the school record for most wins in a single season.
 
The local product now has 4,062 career rushing yards and 40 career rushing TDs. He is averaging 142.9 yards rushing per game this season and 5.1 yards per carry on the year. His 223.5 all-purpose yards per game is tops in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and second in the nation at the Division II level. Over his four-year career, White has accumulated 7,243 all-purpose yards and averages 161 all-purpose yards per game in 45 contests.
 
In addition to all his rushing accolades, White leads West Chester with 61 receptions, and his 710 receiving yards is second on the squad. White has also caught a pair of touchdown passes this season, giving him 22 total touchdowns, which ties the school record for both TDs in a single season and points in a single season. If that were not enough, White also threw a touchdown pass on a halfback-option earlier in the season at Gannon.
 
The list of 2013 finalists is comprised of five quarterbacks and four running backs. White is the first West Chester Golden Rams player to be named a finalist for this award since former WR Mike Washington in 2008, who finished sixth in the voting that year.
 
Six of the finalists helped lead their teams into the 2013 NCAA Division II playoffs this season and five of this weekend's second round playoff matchups will have Hill finalists competing. Three of this year's finalists were also finalists in 2012.
 
Also advancing from Super Region 1 is senior running back Franklyn Quiteh of Bloomsburg University (Pa.). Quiteh finished third in the 2012 Hill Trophy voting.
 
National voting will conclude on December 7 and the top three finishers will be invited to the Shoals 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.
 
This year's Hill Trophy Banquet will also include the 54th induction into the Division II Football Hall of Fame. The 2013 Hall of Fame class includes from Valdosta State quarterback Dusty Bonner, former Jacksonville State University tight end Keith McKeller and former Indiana University of Pennsylvania head coach Frank Cignetti.

Tickets are $50 each or $400 for a table of eight and can be purchased by calling the Shoals Chamber of Commerce at (256) 764-4661.

The NCAA Division II Championship Game is scheduled for December 21 at Florence's Braly Municipal Stadium at 11 a.m.

The Hill Trophy is sponsored by the City of Florence, Ala., Florence-Lauderdale Tourism, Opti-Net, the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa and Herff Jones.

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	School (Hometown)
Luke Charles	QB	6-1	215	Sr.	UNC-Pembroke (Murphy, N.C.)
Glen Clinton	RB	5-10	200	Sr.	Chadron State (Cody, Wyo.)
Bo Cordell	QB	6-0	205	Sr.	Tusculum (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Franklyn Quiteh	RB	5-9	206	Sr.	Bloomsburg (Tobyhanna, Pa.)
Kevin Rodgers	QB	6-3	215	Jr.	Henderson State (Rockwell, Texas)
Tyler Tonderum	RB	5-10	191	Jr.	SW Minnesota State (Armstrong, Iowa)
Dustin Vaughan	QB	6-5	220	Sr.	West Texas A&M (Corpus Christi, Texas)
Rondell White	RB	5-10	185	Sr.	West Chester (West Chester, Pa.)
Jon Wolf	QB	6-4	230	Sr.	Minn. State-Mankato (Oak Forest, Ill.)