Ryan Slager is finalist for Cliff Harris Award

Grinnell College Athletics

GRINNELL, Iowa – Grinnell College’s Ryan Slager ’19 has advanced from being a nominee to a finalist for the prestigious Cliff Harris Award.

Slager is one of 81 finalists for the award, including 28 at the NCAA Division III level.

The award is given to the nation’s top small college defensive player and the namesake is a former NAIA player from Ouachita Baptist University who went on to play in five Super Bowls and six Pro Bowls while with the Dallas Cowboys.

Slager, a linebacker from Orland Park, Ill. (Amos Alonzo Stagg), was recently named to the D3football.com All-West Region Team and was an All-Midwest Conference selection.A year after posting 154 tackles, Slager tallied 159 in 2017 which ranks second all-time at Grinnell, fourth in the MWC and eighth nationally.

In the season finale, he had 18 tackles to boost his career total of 447 to break Lee Kraemer’s previous school record of 433. That put Slager third all-time in the MWC with a season remaining to play.

Slager also had seven tackles for loss this season, three sacks, four fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and one interception.

The award will be presented Dec. 23 at the Little Rock Touchdown Club’s annual awards banquet, which will feature Marcus Allen as the main speaker.