FLORENCE, Ala. – Texas A&M University-Commerce quarterback Luis Perez has been named as one of 10 finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year.
 
The finalists were selected by the NCAA Division II sports information directors in regional voting and will now be placed on the national ballot where all 169 of the division's SIDs will select the award's 32nd winner. The top two players from Super Region 3 and Super Region 4 advanced to the national ballot, while three players advanced from Super Region 1 and Super Region 2 due to ties in the voting.
 
Perez is one of two Harlon Hill Trophy finalists still playing in the national quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division II Football Championship. The Lions travel to Minnesota State-Mankato for the Super Region Four Final this Saturday at Noon.
 
Perez is Division II's leading passer and the only one of the top 19 passers in the nation still playing in the Division II playoffs. He averages 344.3 yards per game, completing 346-of-491 passes for 4,131 yards with 41 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has thrown for over 300 yards in his last 10 consecutive games.
 
The Lions have advanced to the Regional Final and are playing a third playoff game for the first time in the school's storied football history. Perez led the Lions to a wild comeback from a 21-point halftime deficit in a 34-31 double overtime victory at Central Washington.
 
Perez won the Lone Star Conference's J.W. Rollins Award as the offensive player of the year and has been named the First Team All-Lone Star Conference quarterback in both of his seasons as a Lion. The preseason All-American was also a nominee for the AFCA/Allstate Good Works Team.
 
He is Division II's active career leader in passing yards per game (298.3 yards per game in his career), ranking ninth in all NCAA divisions. He is one of only three players in all NCAA divisions with over 4,000 passing yards this season in 12 games played. He has a career record of 22-3 as the Lions' starting quarterback.
 
Over his two-year Lion career, Perez has completed 590-of-880 passes for 7,457 yards with 73 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He has thrown for over 300 yards in 15 of his 25 career games.
 
Perez is A&M-Commerce's first-ever Harlon Hill Trophy finalist, and just the Lions' third candidate. Wide receiver Gary Compton in 1990 and cornerback Eric Turner in 1992 were the Lions' previous candidates.
 
2017 Harlon Hill Trophy Finalists
 

Player	Pos	Ht	Wt	Cl	School	Hometown
SUPER REGION ONE
Connor Jessop	QB	6-5	220	Sr.	Shepherd	Ashburn, Va.
Marc Jones	RB	5-11	225	Jr.	Gannon	Painesville, Ohio
Marcus Martin	DE	6-2	255	Sr.	Slippery Rock	West Mifflin, Pa.
SUPER REGION TWO
Amir Hall	QB	6-4	180	Jr.	Bowie State	Bowie, Md.
Devontae Jackson	RB/KR	5-8	171	Jr.	West Georgia	Marietta, Ga.
Harry Satterwhite	QB	6-1	182	Jr.	West Alabama	Mobile, Ala.
SUPER REGION THREE
Brook Bolles	QB	6-3	190	Jr.	Central Missouri	Lincoln, Neb.
J.T. Luper	WR	5-9	175	Sr.	Central Oklahoma	Sherman, Texas
SUPER REGION FOUR
Ja'Quan Gardner	RB	5-7	205	Sr.	Humboldt State	Ceres, Calif.
Luis Perez	QB	6-3	220	Sr.	A&M-Commerce	Chula Vista, Calif.