Campbell honored with Harlon Hill
Harlon Hill Trophy winner Jayru Campbell ran for a touchdown in the NCAA Division II National Championship game in McKinney, Texas, on Dec. 15.
For the third time in the past five seasons, the nation’s top NCAA Division II Football player is from Ferris State University. Bulldog junior quarterback Jayru Campbell was named the recipient of the 2018 Harlon Hill Trophy, presented to the country’s most outstanding player, on Friday, Dec. 14.
Campbell, of Detroit (Cass Technical High School), led Ferris State into its first NCAA Division II Championship football game. At the time of the award, the junior quarterback from Detroit lead all NCAA Division II quarterbacks in rushing with 1,338 yards while throwing for 2,832 with 26 touchdowns and five interceptions. Also named GLIAC Player of the Year, he had accounted for a national-best 47 touchdowns for the Bulldogs.
In keeping with his all-business approach to the game and characteristic modesty, Campbell was quick to acknowledge his team and coaching staff.
“We’ve got talented slots, talented wideouts, a great defense—my offensive line is amazing, and the coaches put me in the position to win,” Campbell said after the announcement. “Just because you’re a good player, you can be in the wrong system. Everything doesn’t just work out like that, so I wouldn’t be able to this without any of these guys and the coaches on the team.”
At the announcement, head coach Tony Annese was quick to return the praise.
“I had a lot of confidence that he was going to be the right kind of guy. He’s made us tough, he’s led our team, he’s run a million extra sprints before and after practice,” Annese said. “You know, he didn’t want to come here today because he doesn’t want to put the whole purpose out of context…but it’s a team celebration, for all the guys who have helped him through things and all the guys he’s helped through things.”
Campbell joins former Ferris standout quarterback and two-time winner Jason Vander Laan (2014-15) as the second-ever Ferris State athlete to claim the prize and is the fourth-ever player from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference to win the honor. Overall, Campbell was one of only two juniors and four non-seniors among the nine national finalists.
Campbell will be formally honored at the Little Rock Touchdown Club awards banquet on Jan. 10, 2019. Harlon Hill finalists were selected by the NCAA Division II sports information directors in regional voting and were placed on the national ballot where all 168 of the division’s SIDs selected the award’s 33rd winner.