Wingate's Bowden Named Harlon Hill Trophy Regional Candidate
Wingate University senior wide receiver Chris Bowden is one of 24 candidates in the running for the 2012 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II college football Player of the Year, the national Harlon Hill Award committee announced Friday.
FLORENCE, Ala. - Wingate University senior wide receiver Chris Bowden is one of 24 candidates in the running for the 2012 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II college football Player of the Year, the national Harlon Hill Award committee announced Friday.
Bowden leads the South Atlantic Conference in receptions per game (9.80) and receiving yards per game (120.7). Those numbers rank second and fourth, respectively, on the NCAA Division II charts.
"Chris Bowden has been the perfect player for us," Wingate head coach Joe Reich says. "He is hard-working, talented and team oriented. Chris has great ability, but it is his dedication to his craft which makes him a great player."
Bowden is Wingate's all-time leading receiver with 255 catches for 3567 yards and 35 touchdowns. He holds every significant school receiving record. This year, he has 98 catches for 1207 yards and nine touchdowns. Bowden has five games this year with 10-plus catches and six games with 100-plus receiving yards.
"His ability to get in and out of breaks and to make tough catches is second to none," Reich says. "His durability over not only the 2012 season, but his entire career, is truly amazing. Chris has been a great student of the game, which gives him an advantage over the average player."
A 2012 team captain, Bowden is the fifth Bulldog to find his name on the ballot. Quarterback Cody Haffly was Wingate's first two-time regional candidate (2011 and 2010). Haffly was the first candidate since quarterback Brian Baughman in 1999. Bulldog running back Tracy Bowen finished seventh in the 1997 national balloting. Quarterback Vernon Buck was a regional candidate in 1994.
The group of 24 candidates includes nine quarterbacks, eight running backs, five receivers, a linebacker and a defensive lineman. There are 14 seniors, nine juniors and one sophomore.
The winner of the 2012 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the 27th annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet on Friday, Dec. 14.
- Wingate media relations