Missouri Western senior running back Michael Hill has been named to the AFCA All-American team which was announced Monday, December 10. This marks the second consecutive season that a Griffon has earned this honor as former Griffon kicker Greg Zuerlein was named to the team a season ago. Hill is also one of the three finalists for the Harlon Hill Award which is awarded to the top player in Division II. The winner of that award will be announced on Friday, December 14 in Florance, Ala.
This past season Hill was the MIAA Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-MIAA as well as Daktronics Super Region 3 Offensive Player of the Year and First Team Daktronics Super Region 3. He was named to the BSN First Team All-American team as well. This past season Hill rushed for over 100 yards in 12 of the Griffons 14 games which includes rushing for over 150 yards eight times and 200 twice. He has helped the Griffons to an 12-2 record which most victories in a season and helped the Griffons to their first ever playoff victory over Minnesota-Duluth 59-57 in triple overtime. He had a career high 259 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-28 victory over Washburn on Senior Day. He helped the Griffons win six straight games against top-25 opponents and helped the Griffons open up 6-0 for the first time ever under head coach Jerry Partridge and the first time since 1981. The six straight victories by the Griffons to start the season helped them garner a #4 ranking in the AFCA poll and #3 by D2Football.com which are the highest in school history. He helped the Griffons win four road games against teams that were ranked in the top-25 for the first time ever…beat #7 Pittsburg State 63-14, #15 Emporia State 57-28, #4 NW Missouri State 21-20 and #6 Henderson State 45-21 in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs. The Griffons secured a school record 12 victories this season and nine or more for the seventh time in ten years. He rushed for a career long 92 yard touchdown against William Jewell College and had a rush for over 20 yards in 11 games. Finished the season with an MWSU single season record 2,168 yards rushing and is only the 7th player ever in the MIAA to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season.
Hill finished his career has MWSU’s all-time leader in rushing with 4,969 career yards and all-purpose yards with 5,851. He has the record for most carries in a career with 928 and most carries in a game with 41 and most carries in a season with 311. He helped the Griffons break the single game yards per rush average of 9.7 against William Jewell College. His 19 touchdowns this season is the record for most in a single season. He finished the season with 16 rushing touchdowns and his career record of 35 rushing touchdowns. He finished with 44 total touchdowns which was two away from tying the school record in a career. His 154.9 yards per game broke the single season record and his 114 points scored set a single season record.He has the second and third highest mark for rushing yards in a game with 259 against Washburn in 2012 and 246 against Southwest Baptist in 2011
2012: MIAA Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-MIAA running back; Daktronics All-Region First Team and Daktronics Super Region 3 Offensive Player of the Year; Harlon Hill Finalsit; AFCA All-American; BSN First Team All-American
2011 Award List • MIAA Offensive Player of the Week on October 31, 2011 • First Team All-MIAA • Second Team Daktronics Super Region Four • Second Team Don Hansen Super Region Four • Honorable Mention Don Hansen all-American • Honorable Mention Beyond Sports Network all-American 2010 Awards honorable mention All-MIAA.
He helped the Griffons break the school record for highest average per rush in a game…MWSU averaged 9.7 against William Jewell which broke the old mark of 7.8. He helped the Griffon offense set records for Most Points Scored (582), Highest Scoring Average (41.6), Most Touchdown Scored (78), Most First Downs (318), Most Yards Gained (6,420), Most Yards Total Offense Per Game (458.6), Most Yards Gained Rushing (4,009), Most Rushing Yards Net (3,702), Highest Rushing Average Per Carry (6.2) and Highest Completion Percentage in a Season (65.2-percent). Helped the Griffons to three NCAA Division II Playoff Appearances and a Mineral Water Bowl appearance.
Hill is also the fifth Griffon to Earn AFCA All-American honors since 2003. Individuals that earned the honor before Hill were safety Pierre Thomas (2003), running back Jeremiah White (2005), offensive lineman Roger Allen (2008) and kicker Greg Zuerlein (2011).
The Griffons finished its best season in school history with a 12-2 overall record and won the MIAA Championship outright for the first time in school history. They also won its first two playoff games in school history advancing to the quarterfinals.
— MWSU Sports Information —