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Football: Pierce Nominated for Nation's Top Small College Defensive Player

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Posted on Monday, December 16, 2019

Written by the Westminster Sports Information Department

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — Westminster College football senior defensive back Aaron Pierce (Fort Lauderdale, FL / Hollywood) was announced as a nominee for the 2019 Cliff Harris Award.

Pierce led the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) with three interception returns for a touchdown and was tied for second with four total interceptions. The senior earned First Team All-PAC honors. Pierce was one of two players in the conference to receive PAC Defensive Player of the Week honors twice this season (Cameron Brown DE – Case Western Reserve).

Pierce is the third-straight Westminster Cliff Harris Award nominee (John Fitzgerald – 2018, Todd Jeter – 2017).

This 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 Award overall winner, the top vote getter from each division will also be announced.

Finalists for the award will be released in a week and the Cliff Harris Award winner will be announced on Dec. 23 and honored at the Little Rock Touchdown Club's annual awards banquet on January 9, 2020. The winner will receive the $3,000 Cliff Harris Award trophy presented by Cliff Harris and guest speaker Archie Griffin. Previous winners include Pierre Desir, Lindenwood University, Darius Allen, Colorado State University-Pueblo, Marqui Christian, Mid-Western State University, Connor Harris, Lindenwood University, Michael Joseph of University of Dubuque, and Corey Ballentine of Washburn University.

For more Westminster Athletics news, visit www.athletics.westminster.edu.