Manning up for Harlon Hill Award
10/31/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Manning candidate for top Division II honor
ACU sophomore one of 26 players vying for Harlon Hill Award
ABILENE - ACU junior defensive back Danieal Manning has been named to the list of candidates for the 2005 Harlon Hill Award, the award given out annually to the top player in NCAA Division II football.
Manning is one of 26 candidates for the award, and one of only four defensive players on the ballot. The award is usually whittled down to a list of 24 candidates, but the Southwest Region Committee was deadlocked on its final three candidates, giving the region eight candidates instead of just six.
Two of the players in the Southwest Region are defensive players: Manning and Texas A&M-Kingsville linebacker Deandrae Fillmore. The other six candidates from the Southwest Region are West Texas A&M quarterback Dalton Bell, Colorado School of Mines wide receiver Justin Gallas, Pittsburg State (Kan.) running back Germaine Race, Tarleton State running back Derrick Ross, Nebraska-Kearney wide receiver Richard Ross, and Chadron State (Neb.) running back Danny Woodhead.
Players are nominated and voted on by the sports information directors at the 150 NCAA Division II football-playing institutions.
The 26 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 November 14.
The winner of the 2005 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the 20th annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet on Friday, Dec. 9. at the Florence Conference Center at 6:30 p.m.
There were 36 candidates initially nominated by the sports information directors at their respective schools and those nominations were then reviewed by the Hill Regional Advisory Committees, which trimmed the list of candidates.
Manning's list of awards in three seasons as a Wildcat are numerous, but perhaps the most impressive is that after the 2004 season he was named as an all-America player either as a defensive back or return specialist on all six NCAA Division II all-America football teams. Prior to the start of the 2005 season, Manning was named pre-season all-America on three teams, and was named the Lone Star Conference South Division Defensive Player of the Year.
A two-time first team all-region selection at both defensive back and return specialist, Manning is also a two-time first team all-LSC South Division selection. In 2003, he was named the league's Freshman of the Year, and after his sophomore season in 2004 he was the only NCAA Division II player named to the Houston Chronicle's all-Texas College team, a unit that included former Texas all-America players in running back Cedric Benson and linebacker Derrick Johnson.
Manning has 10 career touchdowns, and his five career special teams touchdowns - including two this year on a kickoff return and punt return - are an ACU career record, one more than the four posted by former all-America running back V.T. Smith, who later played for the Los Angeles Rams in the 1950s.
Manning has scored a touchdown via pass reception, kickoff return, punt return and interception return, leaving only a rushing touchdown as the only way he has not scored a touchdown in his career.
This season, Manning's opportunities have been limited as opposing kickers and punters have kicked away from him, and opposing quarterbacks have generally refused to throw anywhere near his area. Manning is averaging 13.9 yards per return on 17 punt returns and 27.0 yards per return on just nine kickoff returns. He had a 78-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the season-opener against Central Oklahoma on Sept. 3, and he had a 57-yard punt return for a touchdown against Texas A&M-Commerce on Sept. 17. He also had a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown against Central Oklahoma.
He has three interceptions on the season to give him 11 for his career. He's also lined up at tailback on offense in an effort to get the ball in his hands, and he has nine carries for 20 yards. As a wide receiver, Manning has caught five passes for 28 yards. As a defensive back he is sixth on the team in tackles with 40, and he has four pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and three blocked kicks.
In the last two weeks as ACU has upset nationally ranked opponents in Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Kingsville, Manning has played some of his best football of the season. In the Wildcats' 18-7 road win over then-No. 19 Tarleton State, Manning had six tackles (one for a loss) and one interception that set up a field goal. In Saturday's 19-3 home win over then-No. 21 Texas A&M-Kingsville, Manning had four tackles and three pass breakups.
Among the players vying for the 2005 award are Northeast region candidates, senior running back Antoine Bagwell of California (Pa.), senior quarterback Robert Blount of C.W. Post (N.Y.), sophomore running back Jamar Brittingham of Bloomsburg (Pa.), senior quarterback Joey Conrad of Glenville State (W.V.), senior running back Derrick Stickles of West Liberty (W.V.) and junior quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger of East Stroudsburg (Pa.).
Southeast region candidates include junior quarterback Scott Eyster of Delta State (Miss.), junior wide receiver Aaron Fairooz of Central Arkansas, junior quarterback Kevin Huff of Tuskegee (Ala.), junior wide receiver kick returner Anthony Merritt of North Alabama, senior running back J.D. Washington of Morehouse and senior defensive back Marcus Wright of Kentucky State.
Candidates from the Northwest region are senior linebacker Digger Anderson of North Dakota, senior running back Matt Birkel of St. Cloud State (Minn.), senior quarterback Wesley Beschorner of South Dakota, senior wide receiver Brian Hynes of Winona State (Minn.), senior quarterback Brian Masek of Nebraska-Omaha and senior quarterback James McNear of Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.).
Bagwell, Terwilliger, Birkel and Woodhead were also candidates for the 2004 Hill Trophy.
OTHER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
* Manning and former ACU standout Dennis Hagaman are the only two players in Wildcat football history to have two kickoff returns for touchdowns of at least 90 yards.
* Manning and V.T. Smith are the only players in school history to have two punt returns for touchdowns in one season (73 yards and 55 yards in 2004 for Manning and 71 yards and 70 yards in 1948 for Smith).\
* Manning and V.T. Smith are the only two players in ACU football history to post a kickoff return for a touchdown, a punt return for a touchdown and a pass reception of at least 70 yards for a touchdown in their careers.
* Manning and Dennis Hagaman are the only players in school history to have a punt return for a touchdown and a kickoff return for a touchdown in the same season (2004 and 2005 for Manning; 1963 and 1964 for Hagaman.
