LITTLE ROCK, Ark. --- For the second year in a row, University of St. Francis senior free safety Scott Tumilty is one of 37 NAIA nominees for the prestigious Cliff Harris Award.  The award, which was established nine years ago, is presented to the nation's top small college defensive player representing more than 5,000 football players from nearly 500 NCAA II, III and NAIA colleges and universities.   

Tumilty, who three-peated on the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League First Team this past fall, led the Fighting Saints in tackles with 75 stops.  That averaged out to 7.5 tackles per game, which ranked him sixth in the conference.

Tumilty's other defensive numbers included three stops behind the line of scrimmage, one interception and a forced fumble.

As a special teams performer, Tumilty's 23.2 yards per return on kickoffs was the third-best average in the conference.  Among his 24 returns, his 78-yard runback for a touchdown on Sept. 24 was the highlight.  It wound up being the game-winning score in a 19-14 victory over Siena Heights University (Mich.) and led to Tumilty being named the MSFA Midwest League Special Teams Player of the Week.

He also returned 13 punts on the season, averaging 5.5 yards per return.

The award is named after Cliff Harris, who went from an overlooked high school player from tiny Des Arc, Ark. receiving one scholarship offer to then-NAIA Ouachita Baptist University, to five Super Bowl and six Pro Bowl appearances with the Dallas Cowboys. On top of that, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.      

The winner of the award will be announced on December 30 and honored at the Little Rock Touchdown Club's annual awards banquet on January 13, 2023.

St. Francis went 7-3 overall and 6-1 in league play to finish second in the conference.  Nationally, they earned a final ranking of No. 19.

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