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Harrington Named Finalist for Top Press Club Award

Despite the fact the 2015 football season ended more than four months ago, the honors continue to pour in for All-American running back Kade Harrington. The 2015 Southland Conference Player of the Year has been named a finalist for the Press Club of Southeast Texas Newsmaker of the Year Award.

The annual event hosts local dignitaries and also recognizes the top area newsmakers from Southeast Texas. The finalists for the Newsmaker of the Year award were voted on by Press Club membership.

Proceeds from the banquet fund the Press Club Memorial Scholarship at LU dedicated to deceased journalists and awarded annually to students in communications, advertising, public relations or a related field. 

“Just to be named a finalist for this award is a tremendous honor for Kade and our football program,” said LU Director of Athletics Jason Henderson. “Kade had a remarkable season, and brought national attention to ËÄ»¢Ó°ÊÓ. What he accomplished on the field is something that has rarely been done before in college football, and he placed his names alongside some of the all-time greats.”

Harrington helped placed the Cardinals football program in the national spotlight with his highlight reel runs throughout the 2015 season. The two-time STATS FCS National Player of the Week selection led the nation in total rushing yards, rush yards per game, rushing touchdowns and all-purpose yards. He also finished the regular season ranked second nationally in scoring and third in yards per carry. In Southland games, Harrington averaged better than 220 yards per contest on his way to a unanimous All-America selection.

Just two years after becoming the first Cardinal to earn league freshman of the year honors, Harrington became the first player in program history to be named conference MVP. That honor was bestowed on Harrington just days prior to receiving the American Sports Network’s National Player of the Year award.

In addition to all of the other firsts for Harrington in 2015, he also became the first Cardinal in program history to be named a finalist for the STATS FCS National Offensive Player of the Year award, formerly known as the Walter Payton Award, which is considered the Heisman Trophy for FCS football. Harrington was runner-up for the award, missing out by a mere 29 points in one of the closest votes in the awards history.

LU athletics has a strong history with the Press Club of Southeast Texas’ top honor. Retiring baseball head coach Jim Gilligan has been a recipient of the award, while LU head football coach Ray Woodard was a finalist following the 2010 season.

The award winners will be named at the 25^th Annual Excellence in the Media and Newsmaker of the Year Awards ceremony Friday, June 10 at the MCM Elegante. The ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. and last until 10:30 p.m.