CWU senior football standout again named Cliff Harris Award finalist

For the third straight year, Central Washington University football senior safety Tanner Volk was named a finalist for the NCAA Division II Cliff Harris Award.

Volk is one of 14 finalists for the 2024 award after hauling in six interceptions and racking up 64 total tackles. He also totaled 96 interception return yards, including one for a touchdown. He won the award last year after leading the nation with 13 interceptions and 124 total tackles and received his first nomination in 2022.

The Cliff Harris Award is presented to the nation's top small college defensive player in both NCAA Division II and III, and the NAIA. The winners will be announced on Tuesday, January 7, and the winners from each division will be honored in the spring with an all expenses paid trip and VIP tour of “The Star” in Frisco, Texas, alongside Harris.

The award highlights exceptional talent and contributions to the game by athletes who have made a significant impact on their teams. It is named after Harris, a former small college defensive standout from Arkansas who eventually became a Super Bowl champion and Pro Bowl selection with the Dallas Cowboys.

Volk is a two-time J.V. Sikes Defensive Player of the Year winner in the Lonestar Conference, a two-time Harlon Hill Award nominee. He was also named First Team Division 2 Conference Commissioner's Association and earned Second Team Associated Press All-American Honors.

He also received First Team Defense honors on the Don Hansen All-American team last month after helping the Wildcats earn their second consecutive NCAA Division II playoff appearance. CWU finished 8-4 after a first-round defeat to Western Colorado in November.