Henderson State’s Kevin Rodgers Takes Second

 

Henderson State quarterback Kevin Rodgers finished second in the voting for the 2014 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year. The announcement was made Friday via web stream from Florence, Ala.

Rodgers totaled 143 votes, nine votes behind winner Jason Vander Laan of Ferris State who finished with 152 votes.
Rodgers received 29 first-place votes, 21 second-place votes and 14 third-place votes. Vander Lann totaled 34 first-place tallies, 20 second-place, and 10 third.

Anthony Bilal of Lake Erie was third with 61 votes, with Anthony Abenoja of Pittsburg State following in fourth-place with 60 votes.

Rodgers, the Capital One Academic All-America Division II Player of the Year was also a finalist in 2012 and 2013 finishing sixth in the voting as a sophomore, and third last year.

Rodgers earned Great American Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors for a third straight year. The graduate student from Rockwall, Texas completed 283-of-427 yards (66.2 percent) for 3602 yards this past season.

He ranked second nationally in touchdown passes with 34 and went over the 300 yard mark seven times.

Rodgers, one of two NCAA Division II players selected as a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award Winner, was also selected to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Super Region 3 All-Academic Team.

Rodgers moved into fifth place in NCAA Division II history for career passing yards with 13,678 yards and is third in career touchdown passes with 124. He also set the GAC and Arkansas state career records for passing yards, total offense and touchdowns.

Named to numerous All-America Teams including Associated Press, D2Football.com, Daktronics, Don Hansen’s, Beyond College Sports, and Lindy’s, Rodgers was chosen to the 2013 AllState/AFCA Good Works Team voted as the team captain.

During his career he was named GAC Offensive Player of the Week 14 times, National Player of the Week nine times and posted a 34-5 record as HSU’s starting quarterback .  He has threw for 300 yards or more in 26 of 41 games, 400 or more yards 11 times, and 500 or more yards four times. Rodgers helped lead the Reddies to two GAC Championships and two NCAA postseason appearances.

Rodgers graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Finance, December 13, 2013 and gave the student response at commencement. He is currently working on his MBA and plans on attending law school.

A three-time member of the Academic All-GAC Honor Roll, Rodgers earned the 2013-14 GAC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year as well as earning the GAC Male Athlete of the Year in 2012-13 and 2013-14.

He was the recipient of the HSU 2013 Summit Bank Outstanding Banking Award and served as president of the Honors Business Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi.

Rodgers has been involved with numerous charitable efforts during his time at Henderson State. Last spring, Rodgers organized a group of students from Henderson State, Harding and OBU to assist with tornado clean-up efforts in Maumelle. His story was featured on the CBS Sports Network.

He has also assisted in building playgrounds at local schools and community centers, and even helped to decorate a terminally ill child’s home with Christmas lights.

Rodgers has traveled throughout the south lending a helping hand to those in need. He has served as a mentor for freshmen at the BCM and leads a youth group. He has taken part in REDDIE TO SERVE, a community clean-up program; REDDIE TO READ, a reading program in the Arkadelphia public schools, and REDDIE TO TEACH, having assisted at Arkadelphia Sports Clinics. Rodgers also participates each year in the Reddie Football Blood Drive. He assists at the local humane society cleaning pens, as well as washing, feeding and walking the animals.

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.

Henderson State Quarterback Kevin Rodgers

Henderson State Quarterback Kevin Rodgers

 

 

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