Dallas McRae named as a finalist for the 2019 Cliff Harris Award

Wheaton, Ill. - Wheaton senior defensive tackle Dallas McRae has been named as a finalist for the 2019 Cliff Harris Award, which is given to the nation's top small-college defensive player. The finalists are chosen from over 5,000 defensive players representing more than 500 NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA institutions.

McRae is among 95 finalists for the award, including 36 from Division III. Additionally, there are 59 finalists from Division II and 15 from NAIA institutions. He is the fifth-consecutive Wheaton player to be named as a finalist for the award in its sixth-year history joining Adam Dansdill (2015), Caleb Ashby (2016); Chase Greenlee (2017) and Eric Stevenson (2018). Wheaton and Mary Hardin-Baylor are the only two Division III teams to have five different players named as a finalist in five-consecutive years since the award's creation in 2013.

The winner will be announced on December 27 and honored at the Little Rock Touchdown Club's annual awards banquet January 9, 2019. The winner will receive the Cliff Harris Award and the top vote-getters from each division will also be announced.

McRae, the 2019 CCIW Don Larson Defensive Player of the Year, is a unanimous Division III First Team All-American this season. He earned selection to all three Division III All-American Teams: American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Associated Press and D3football.com. Earlier this month he was announced as the third Wheaton player to be named the D3football.com North Region Defensive Player of the Year.

McRae registered a team-best 18.5 tackles for loss (-102 yards) this season, including 8.5 quarterback sacks (-72 yards). He recorded 52 total tackles, including 36 solo stop in the outstanding 2019 season. McRae registered a team-high eight quarterback hurries, forced one fumble and recovered a fumble on the year. McRae anchored a Wheaton defense that was top-five in Division III in eight different statistical categories. The Thunder defense led Division III in total defense, holding opponents to 202.7 yards per game this season. Wheaton also finished the campaign ranked first in Division III in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 8.9 points per game in 13 contests. The Thunder ranked second in Division III in rushing defense as opponents averaged just 51.8 yards per game on the ground against Wheaton this season.

Originally published by Wheaton College Athletics: /news/2019/12/24/football-dallas-mcrae-named-as-a-finalist-for-the-2019-cliff-harris-award.aspx