Football | 11/17/2022 11:43:00 AM

November 17, 2022-Emporia State offensive lineman Conner Lierz is one of 33 nominees nationwide for the 2022 Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award, presented by the Manheim Touchdown Club.

Lierz was a First-Team All-MIAA selection for the Hornets this season after earning Second-Team honors last year.  He has started every game since coming to Emporia State at both guard and center.  He is a two-time winner of the Hornets Squarehead Award as the top offensive lineman in the game and was named the offensive MVP by the Hornet coaches against Northwest Missouri. He has 61.5 knockdowns on the season including a career high 14.5 against Central Missouri.

The award is voted on by the nation's NCAA Division II sports information directors. Two finalists will advance from each of the four NCAA Division II super regions to a national ballot to select the winner. All nominees must be seniors or graduate players/transfers. The nominees include 20 offensive linemen (10 tackles, seven centers, and three guards) and 13 defensive linemen (11 ends and two tackles). Super Region 3 has 10 nominees with Super Regions 1 and 2 at eight each, and Super Region 4 nominating seven student-athletes. More than half of the nominees, 17 in all, will be competing in the NCAA Division II Football Championship which begins this Saturday.

Regional voting will conclude Nov. 22, and the announcement of eight finalists and the national round of voting begins on Friday Nov. 25 and closes on Friday, Dec. 2. The winner will be an- nounced on Monday, Dec. 5. The award recipient has an invitation to participate in front of professional scouts and coaches at the East-West Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas, Nev. The winner will also be recognized at the Manheim Touchdown Club's annual banquet.

The NFL recognizes, endorses and supports the winner of the award by guaranteeing a place in the all-star games. The support comes as recognition and appreciation for the late Mr. Upshaw, who was not only an All-Pro lineman for the Oakland Raiders, but later served as the executive director of the NFL Players Association for 25 years. Upshaw, a former standout offensive lineman at Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M Kingsville), was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987 in his first year of eligibility.
 
 2022 Gene Upshaw Award Nominees
SUPER REGION 1
D.J. Adediwura (Slippery Rock)
William Ayers (New Haven)
Charlie Cleveland (Tiffin)
Cedie Dashiell II (Bentley)
Darell Davis (IUP)
Joey Fisher (Shepherd)
Jaylin Garner (Ohio Dominican)
Tyler Tate (Millersville)

SUPER REGION 2
Emanuel Boone (Fort Valley St.)
DJ Horne (Wingate)
Trayzel Jureidini-Wyche (Carson-Newman)
Tommy Mahoney (Tusculum)
Nicolas Melsop (Delta State)
Dalton Simpler (West Florida)
Cameron Thomason (Limestone)
Kody Varn (Newberry)

SUPER REGION 3
Quinton Barrow (Grand Valley St.)
DeJante Granger (Southeastern Oklahoma St.)
Elijah Green (Northwest Missouri St.)
Connor Lierz (Emporia St.)
Caleb Murphy (Ferris St.)
Austin Patricia (Southern Arkansas)
Peyton Stafford (Ouachita Baptist)
Kenny Thomason (McKendree)
Grayson Winters (Southern Nazarene)
Kory Woodruff (Pittsburg St.)

SUPER REGION 4
Matt Armendariz (Colorado School of Mines)
Trey Botts (CSU Pueblo)
Grayson Diepenbrock (Augustana)
Carter Duxbury (Winona St.)
Zollie Kaplan (Bemidji St.)
Brent Laing (Minnesota Duluth)
Clayton Martin (Western Colorado)