Utica, NY – Utica College football senior defensive end Nick Woodman (Utica, NY/Proctor) was named a finalist for the third annual Cliff Harris Award on Thursday by the Little Rock Touchdown Club and Wright, Lindsey & Jennings LLP.  The 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 will select the winner. In addition to the Cliff Harris overall winner, the top vote getter from each division will also be announced.

Nick Woodman (Utica, NY/Proctor) was one of 19 Division III football players to be named a finalist for the award. Woodman recently made his third straight Empire 8 All-Conference appearance and his second straight all-conference first team selection. He also recently made his first appearance on the D3football.com All-Region first team after being selected to the second team in 2014. He will graduate ranked first all-time at UC in career sacks (29.5), second in career forced fumbles (six), fifth all-time in career tackles for a loss (114), and he is tied for first in single season tackles for a loss (20.0).  He also broke his own school-record with 13.0 sacks this past season. He ranked first in the conference and fifth in DIII in sacks per game (1.30) and first in the conference and eighth in DIII in tackles for a loss per game (2.0). He finished the season with 66 total tackles, two forced fumbles, two blocked kicks, and one touchdown.

The Cliff Harris Award winner will be announced on Dec. 24 and 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.

Cliff Harris Award Selection Committee represents:

• 45 Super Bowl appearances
• 54 Pro Bowl appearances
• 39 All-Pro selections
• 4 inductees of the NFL Hall of Fame
• 3 inductees of the College Football Hall of Fame
• 6 Members of the Cowboys Ring of Honor
• Heisman Trophy Winner & Super Bowl MVP
• College National Championship

Cliff Harris Selection Committee

• Roger Staubach
• Lee Roy Jordan
• Walt Garrison
• Gene Stallings
• Jackie Smith
• Drew Pearson
• Rayfield Wright
• Everson Walls
• Charlie Waters
• Bill Bates
• Gil Brandt
• Mel Renfro
• Jim Hart
• Cliff Harris