North Central College football player John “J.P.” Sullivan recently received the 2025 Cliff Harris Award, recognizing him as the nation’s top small-college defensive player in NCAA Division III.
The Cliff Harris Award is an annual recognition program that celebrates exceptional defensive players in small college football. Named after NFL Hall of Famer Cliff Harris, the award acknowledges players who exhibit excellence on and off the field. The winners from each division are honored in the spring with an all-expenses-paid trip and VIP tour of ‘The Star’ in Frisco, TX alongside Cliff.
An all-time performance on the gridiron
Sullivan dominated the trenches in his senior season for the Cardinals, totaling 73 tackles, eight sacks, 21 quarterback hurries, eight pass breakups, and 22 tackles for loss, which tied the program record. The Lakes Community High School graduate helped lead NCC to another CCIW title and a sixth consecutive appearance in the Stagg Bowl.
“John Sullivan had a tremendous season and helped lead the North Central Defense as they advanced to the national championship game,” said Pro Football Hall of Famer Cliff Harris in a press release. “Not only did he put up big numbers, but he also affected the game in so many ways. Taking on double teams as opponents had to game plan around him every week.”
Being honored by a legend
Cliff Harris was a former small college player himself, playing for Division II Ouachita Baptist University in the late 1960’s, before going on to a Hall of Fame career with the Dallas Cowboys.
In addition to the Cliff Harris Award, Sullivan was also named the CCIW Defensive Player of the Year, a First Team All-American, and the D3football.com Defensive Player of the Year. He received the award in person from Harris, a 2020 NFL Hall of Fame inductee, on July 15, 2026. Sullivan was also a finalist for the award in 2024.
