Carson-Newman's Baker Named Finalist for Harlon Hill Trophy

FLORENCE, Ala. – Carson-Newman running back Damian Baker (Columbus, Miss.) has been named a national finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy – presented to the best football player in Division II.

Baker becomes the fourth Carson-Newman player to make it the award's final round, and the second in as many years.  Running back Andy Hibbett made the finals last season before finishing seventh in the voting.  Quarterback Leonard Guyton was a finalist in 2002, while running back Tyrone Westmoreland was the first Harlon Hill finalist for C-N in 1997.  Mars Hill running back Jonas Randolph is the only South Atlantic Conference player to win the award – doing so in 2011.

"He is one of the great success stories at Carson-Newman from a personal perspective," head coach Ken Sparks said. "He struggled at times with adjusting to things that he knew were right but struggled to do right, little things, not big things. To see him take advantage of those opportunities is a great rejoicing on my part.  When he first got here I felt like I was going to have to spank him. Now all I want to do is hug him for the steps he's made and what he's become."

Damian Baker finished the regular season ranked in the top 25 in the nation in five rushing categories and as the SAC Offensive Player of the Year and a first team all-SAC selection.  He closed out the regular season slate with 1,403 rushing yards to rank No. 11 in Division II, while his 116.9 rushing yards per game was good for No. 20 in the country.  Baker piled up 7.16 yards per carry to rank No. 9 in the nation and his 18 rushing touchdowns are No. 11 in D-II. 

The tailback averaged 9.8 points per game to finish at No. 20 in the nation to help the Eagles rank No. 5 in the country as a team with 43.3 points per outing.

"Being able to come back and play that first game was big," Baker said. "That's when it came back to reality that I was actually playing football. I'm thankful for what Derek and the offensive line did up front, and also for what Dre (De'Andre Thomas) did at quarterback.  Couldn't have done this without them."

Baker accounted for 128.5 all-purpose yards per game for the Eagles to fuel a team rushing attack that is currently No. 4 in the nation with 327 yards per game.  He turned in six 100-yard rushing games this season, including 249 yards on the ground vs. Mars Hill on Sept. 26 – the seventh highest single game tally in Carson-Newman history.  Baker was just three yards shy of his second 200-yard game this season vs. Tusculum in the season finale as he notched 197 rushing yards.

"Thanks to coach Hibbett and coach Sparks," Baker said. "I think people realize now that we've got some pretty good running backs here. When the season first started, Andy encouraged me that I could do it. I set my eyes on having a season like he had last year.  I wanted to do what he did."

Baker has also factored prominently in the Carson-Newman record books in his senior season.  He has a pair of four touchdown days this year, against Mars Hill and Newberry and is the only player since the turn of the century to score four rushing touchdowns twice in the same season.

With his 1,403 rushing yards, Baker has the eighth highest single-season total in Carson-Newman history and his 18 rushing touchdowns are the seventh highest single-season total in school history.

On top of that his 114 points scored this year are tied for sixth all-time in school history.

Baker is the 12th Eagle to earn offensive player of the year honors from the league office.  He is the first such honoree since Brandon Haywood in 2012.  Baker is Carson-Newman's first running back to garner the accolade since Heath Hawkins in 1998 and the seventh overall.

"It's been amazing to see what the Lord has done with him," Sparks said. "He has grown from the outside in and from the insider out.  He's made some decision to max out his life and that's great."

The reigning Harlon Hill Trophy winner is Ferris State's Jason Vander Laan; he completed his senior season with 4,167 yards of total offense after rushing for 1,542 and passing for 2,625. His 347.3 yards of total offense per game rank sixth nationally and he is ninth in rushing at 128.5. He rushed for 24 touchdowns and threw for another 27 to rank second in Division II in points responsible for wit 25.5 per game. He completed 210 of 320 passes with just seven interceptions and ranked ninth nationally in passing efficiency with a 158.0 rating.

National voting among Division II Sports Information Directors will conclude on December 12 and the winner of the 2015 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced on Friday, December 18 via a webcast at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/una/.

The winner will be honored at a luncheon on the University of North Alabama campus on January 8, 2016.

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

Alphabetical Listing of National Finalists

Damian Baker                5-8    195    SR        RB    Carson-Newman        Columbus, Miss.

Ja'Quan Gardner            5-7    190    SO     RB    Humboldt State        Ceres, Calif.

Cameron McDondle          5-7    202    SR        RB    Colorado State-Pueblo        Littleton, Colo.

Matt Soltes                        6-3    220    SR        QB    East Stroudsburg        Vernon, N.J.

Jason Vander Laan            6-4    244    SR        QB    Ferris State            Frankfort, Ill.

Brent Wilson                     6-0    194    SR        QB    Emporia State        Ponca City, Okla.

Luke Wingo                      6-2    185    SR        QB    North Alabama        Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Jeff Ziemba                        6-3    210    JR        QB    Shepherd            Newark, Del.