FSU's Jason Vander Laan Chosen As GLIAC's Top Scholar-Athlete For Second-Straight Year
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Big Rapids, Mich. - For the second consecutive year, Ferris State University standout quarterback and two-time Harlon Hill Trophy winner Jason Vander Laan (Frankfort, Ill./Chicago Christian) has been chosen as the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Scholar-Athlete of the Year as announced by the league office.
Vander Laan and Hillsdale College track standout Emily Oren were tabbed as the male and female recipients, respectively, of the prestigious league honor. The award is given to only one male and one female athlete from any sport in the conference. The winners were chosen from the male and female GLIAC Commissioner's Award honorees from the 205-16 academic year showcasing the top student-athletes both on the field and in the classroom.
As the GLIAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Vander Laan now advances to the regional ballot for the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (CCA) Scholar-Athlete of the Year program with the organization eventually choosing the National Scholar-Athlete of the Year later this fall.
Last year, Vander Laan became the first FSU student-athlete to receive the league's highest scholar honor since former defensive lineman Jake Visser claimed the distinction in 2008-09. He then joined both Visser and 2006-07 recipient Mike Klobucher of the Bulldog football program by eventually going on to become the National Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award recipient.
On the field, Vander Laan officially capped off one of the most historic collegiate football careers in history by being chosen as the recipient of the 2015 Harlon Hill Trophy presented to NCAA Division II's Most Outstanding Player for the second consecutive year last fall. Vander Laan signed with the National Football League's (NFL) New York Jets and is currently preparing for training camp with the franchise as a tight end prospect.
The standout signal caller became only the fourth player ever in the history of Division II football to receive the coveted Harlon Hill Award twice and the first since current NFL standout Danny Woodhead in 2006 and 2007. It also marked the first time ever a player from the GLIAC and the state of Michigan received the honor for a second time as past GLIAC winners Curt Anes (2002) and current Detroit Lions tailback Joique Bell (2009) each attained one of the most recognized awards in collegiate sports only once in their respective careers.
As a senior last fall, Vander Laan became the greatest rushing quarterback in NCAA college football history at any level, concluding his career with 5,953 total yards on the ground. He also became the first player in NCAA history to top 1,000 yards rushing and passing for four consecutive seasons. The four-year starting quarterback finished with more than 14,000 yards of total offense and ranks as the GLIAC's all-time leader in career yardage while setting numerous other school and league marks. His 81 career rushing TD's are the second-most by a QB in the history of college football and represent the most in NCAA Division II history.
The senior signal caller led the Bulldogs to a cumulative 37-9 overall mark, two Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles, two NCAA playoff appearances and back-to-back unbeaten regular seasons as the Ferris State quarterback. The two-time GLIAC Player of the Year and three-time All-American finished his senior campaign passing for 2,625 yards and 27 touchdowns while rushing for 1,542 yards and 24 more scores. Behind Vander Laan's play as the signal caller, Ferris State again ranked among the nation's top offensive units, ranking among the top 10 last fall in total offense, scoring offense and rushing.
Along with being the Harlon Hill Trophy recipient, he was also chosen as the 2015 Division II Conference Commissioners Association National Offensive Player of the Year for the second time and named to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America First Team for the second-straight year. The NCAA Division II National Scholar-Athlete of the Year was tabbed as the 2015 CoSIDA Division II Football Academic All-American of the Year for his efforts in the classroom and was one of 12 finalists for the Campbell Trophy, which is also known as the Academic Heisman of college football, while becoming a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete. Additionally, he was tabbed as the nation's top small college quarterback outside of the Division I level by being chosen to the Associated Press Little All-America First Team for the second year in a row.
Vander Laan helped the Bulldogs finish with an 11-1 overall record for the second-straight year this past season. FSU captured the school's second GLIAC Championship in a row while capping off back-to-back unbeaten regular seasons. The Bulldogs won their last 25 consecutive regular-season games with Vander Laan at the offensive controls and posted the school's first NCAA Playoff victory in 19 years during the 2015 season. In his final two seasons, the Bulldogs won 22 of their 24 games overall.