Blazers and the Harlon Hill Trophy

Valdosta State football has played a large role in the selection of the Division II player-ofthe-year, who receives the coveted Harlon Hill Trophy during festivities held in conjunction with the national championship game in December each year. The trophy is named after former Florence State Teacher’s College (now University of North Alabama) wide receiver Harlon Hill, who went on to start for the Chicago Bears in the NFL.

In 1994, Chris Hatcher won the Hill trophy by the second largest vote margin in the 17year history of the award. Hatcher won the award after throwing for 4,076 yards and 55 touchdowns, against just 10 interceptions, while completing 367 of 508 passes. Hatcher led Division II in passing efficiency during the regular season and directed VSU to its first Division II post-season appearance.

Two years later, Lance Funderburk, his successor as Blazer quarterback, was runner-up for the prestigious honor. Funderburk completed 342 of 532 passes on the season, a .643 completion percentage, and threw 38 touchdowns while being intercepted 14 times. His 4,226 yards passing on the year are both a Valdosta State and Gulf South Conference record.

In 2000, then junior quarterback Dusty Bonner was a landslide winner of the award, making Valdosta State one of only three schools to boast multiple winners. Bonner directed VSU to a 10-2 mark on the year while completing 351 of 488 passes. He tied Hatcher’s Blazer and Gulf South Conference mark of 55 touchdown passes, against just eight interceptions, and tallied 4,126 yards.

In 2001, Bonner took home the gold once again, becoming only the second player in the history of the award to win it in two consecutive seasons. Bonner completed 298 of his 425 passing attempts for 4,037, becoming the first player in VSU history to throw more than 4,000 yards in back-to-back years. The senior threw 52 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while completing 70.1% of his passes.

Capping off the program's first undefeated season in 2018 at 14-0, sophomore quarterback Rogan Wells guided VSU to its fourth national championship as he was named runner-up for the prestigious award. Wells bested 2018 Harlon Hill winner Jayru Campbell of Ferris State in the 2018 title game as Wells was named Most Valuable Player for the championship in the 49-47 thriller. Wells went 19 of 31 passing for 349 yards, five touchdown passes, while rushing 13 times for 39 yards. Wells caught his first career touchdown on some trickeration as freshman quarterback Ivory Durham found Wells for a 25-yard strike putting VSU up 49-38 early in the fourth quarter.

In 2019, Wells continued his outstanding play helping lead VSU to a GSC-record 25-straight victories from 2017-2019, VSU's second-straight Gulf South Conference title and a 10-1 record earning a berth in the NCAA Second Round. Wells went a blistering 28-3 as a starting quarterback for the Blazers. He played in 34 games with 31 starts.

VALDOSTA STATE’S HARLON HILL FINALISTS

Chris Hatcher (1991-94) 1994 Harlon Hill Trophy Winner

Year Att Comp Int. Pct. Yds TDs 1991 150 81 4 .540 1088 8 1992 400 264 14 .660 2548 21 1993 471 335 11 .711 3651 37 1994 508 367 10 .722 4076 55 Totals 1529 1047 39 .685 11,363 121

Lance Funderburk (1992-96) 1996 Harlon Hill Trophy Runner-up

Year Att Comp Int. Pct. Yds TDs 1992 10 5 1 .500 40 0 1993 41 28 0 .683 220 3 1995 544 356 12 .654 3706 26 1996 532 342 14 .643 4226 38 Totals 1127 731 27 .649 8192 67

Dusty Bonner (2000-01) 2000 and 2001 Harlon Hill Trophy Winner

Year Att Comp Int. Pct. Yds TDs 2000 488 351 8 .719 4126 55 2001 425 298 14 .701 4037 52 Totals 913 649 22 .711 8163 107

Rogan Wells (2017-2019) 2018 Harlon Hill Trophy Runner-Up / 2019 Harlon Hill Finalist

Year Att Comp Int. Pct. Yds TDs 2017 217 121 3 .558 1405 12 2018 364 209 4 .574 3075 38 2019 297 213 4 .717 2650 19 Totals 878 543 11 .618 7130 69

Dusty Bonner 2000 and 2001 winner

Chris Hatcher

1994 winner

Lance Funderburk

1996 runner-up