January 6, 2016
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - When the Little Rock Touchdown Club and Wright, Lindsey & Jennings LLP handed out the awards for the 3rd annual CLIFF HARRIS AWARD, Bluffton defensive end Ryan Aelker (New Bavaria/Holgate) was announced as one of two athletes to share the top spot in Division III. Along with Aelker and Tom Lally from Mount Union, Adam Sauder took home top honors for NAIA while Marqui Christian (Division II) was named the overall winner of the Cliff Harris Award. This award is presented to the nation's top small college defensive player representing more than 5,000 defensive players from almost 500 NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA colleges and universities. A prestigious selection committee made up of former college and pro football greats selected the winner.
A total of 63 players were named as finalists for the Cliff Harris award in 2015. Just 19 came from Division III with Aelker the only player from the Heartland Conference to be honored. Recently named First Team All-North Region by D3football.com, Aelker is a two-time finalist for the Cliff Harris award, the first Beaver to earn that distinction.
With all eyes on him and with 10 offensive coordinators scheming to keep Aelker away from the ball, all the senior did was go out and lead the nation in sacks for the second straight season while adding the most tackles-for-loss in NCAA Division III to his resume. His school record 13 sacks from 2014 stood for just one season as Aelker dropped opposing quarterbacks for an NCAA-best 15.5 sacks this season. He broke his school record of 22 TFL's with 24 TFL's as a senior, giving him the top two single-season marks in both sacks and TFL's at Bluffton. Aelker led the conference with three forced fumbles in addition to topping the conference leaderboard in sacks and TFL's. His 60 tackles were second for the Beavers and he stuffed the stat sheet with an interception, four breakups, two quarterback hurries and a blocked kick. It marks the third straight year that Coach Dorrel has directed the player who has topped the NCAA in sacks. Hanover's Jake Stillwell led the nation with 15 sacks in 2013 when Coach Dorrel was the defensive coordinator and line coach for the Panthers.
Aelker expanded his repertoire as a senior and he gave Bluffton's offense another weapon at tight end. He caught two passes, both for touchdowns as Bluffton took advantage of the former high school quarterback's versatility and athletic ability. He will leave Bluffton as the most decorated defensive player in school history. In addition to his back-to-back HCAC Defensive Player of the Year awards, Aelker tops Bluffton's career lists with 35 sacks for 214 yards, 60 TFL's for 286 yards, eight forced fumbles and 11 quarterback hurries. He finished his career with 165 tackles (110 solos), two interceptions, 11 breakups, two fumble recoveries and a blocked kick. Aelker was a Second Team All-HCAC selection as a sophomore before earning First Team All-HCAC honors the past two season. He was a three-time HCAC Defensive Player of the Week, once as a sophomore and twice this season. Aelker is the first player to earn HCAC Defensive MVP honors twice since Matt Lawless from MSJ in 2004 and 2006 and is the only the second player to win the award consecutively following Hanover linebacker Kevin O'Donohue in 1995-96.
The CLIFF HARRIS AWARD winner was announced on Dec. 24 and will be honored at the Little Rock Touchdown Club's annual awards banquet in February 2016. The winner will receive the $3,000 CLIFF HARRIS AWARD trophy presented by Cliff Harris. The inaugural winner of the award in 2013 was Lindenwood University cornerback Pierre Desir now with the Cleveland Browns. The 2014 winner was Darius Allen of Colorado State University-Pueblo. 2015 Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler of the New England Patriots was a Cliff Harris Finalist in 2013.
CLIFF HARRIS - "I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to recognize the most outstanding defensive players from small colleges across the country. As a small college player myself, I always understood that recognition and respect for outstanding play was more difficult to attain compared to players from larger schools."