Roland Rivers III’s memorable 2019 football season with Slippery Rockwas recognized Friday morning as the senior quarterback was named the recipient of the Harlon Hill Trophy.
The Ellenwood, Ga., native is the first Rock player to earn the award, which is the Division II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.
Rivers accumulated the fourth-highest total of first-place votes in the award’s history and the most first-place votes by any winner since 2008.
He finished with 199 points (54 first-place votes), 57 points better than runner-up Jaleel McLaughlin, a running back from Notre Dame (Ohio).
“This is a dream come true for me,” Rivers said in an online release Friday. “I want thank Slippery Rock University, specifically the coaches and my teammates, for giving me the opportunity to achieve this dream. This team and this program is so special. Coming here was one of the best decisions of my life. I’m so thankful to be a part of this Rock family.”
Your 2019 Division II College Football Player of the Year ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/im6mdQnlf9
— Rock Athletics (@Rock_Athletics) December 20, 2019
Rivers also is the first player from any school in the PSAC Western Division to win the Harlon Hill Trophy and the fifth overall PSAC player to earn the honor. The last PSAC player to win it was Bloomsburg running back Franklyn Quiteh in 2013.
The Harlon Hill Trophy highlights a big week for Rivers as he also was named the Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association National Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-American by the D2CCA and the Associated Press.
Rivers led Slippery Rock to a 13-1 record, the PSAC West and overall PSAC titles, a Super Region One title and its second appearance in the NCAA Division II national semifinals.
He set a Division II single-season record for points responsible for (370) and tied the Division II single-season records for touchdowns responsible for (61) and games with at least three passing touchdowns (11).
Rivers set SRU single-season records for completions (322), passing yards (4,460), passing touchdowns (52) and total offense (5,160).
The Little Rock Touchdown Club, one of the presenters of the Harlon Hill Trophy, will honor Rivers at its annual banquet Jan. 9 in Little Rock, Ark.
