Wheaton, Ill. - Wheaton senior linebacker Adam Dansdill has been named as a nominee for the 2015 Cliff Harris Award, which is given to the nation's top small college defensive player. The nominees are chosen from over 5,000 defensive players representing over 500 NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA institutions. Dansdill is the only nominee from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin and is the CCIW's first nominee in the three-year history of the award.

Finalists for the award will be announced in two weeks with the winner being chosen by a prestigous selection committee including Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach. The winner will be announced on December 24 and honored at the Little Rock Touchdown Club's annual awards banquet in February of 2016.

Dansdill is the two-time CCIW Defensive Player of the Year, making him the fifth player in league history to win the award twice, joining Jim Perryman of Millikin (1981-82); Chad Thorson from Wheaton (1988-89); Rusty VanWetzinga of Augustana (1994-95) and Illinois Wesleyan's John Munch (1996-97). Dansdill leads Wheaton with 99 total tackles this season, including 48 solo stops. He has recorded 13 tackles for loss (-40 yards) with five passes broken-up this season. Dansdill ranked second in the CCIW in total tackles this season with 67 stops in conference play. He also ranked eighth in the CCIW in tackles for lost yards with eight (-31 yards) in conference play.

Earlier this week, Dansdill's interception return for a touchdown was named the D3football.com Play of the Week.

Dansdill and the Thunder will host the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks at 12 PM on Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs.