Franklin, Ind. - Franklin College senior football player Kyle Linville (Speedway, Ind./Speedway) has been named the 2013-14 Male Athlete of the Year for the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC). The award, being presented for the first time this athletic year, was voted on by administrators at the 10 member institutions.

Linville earned All-American honors following a record-breaking season in which he helped lead the Grizzlies to their fourth consecutive HCAC championship and appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs. The split end was a finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy as the nation's top Division III football player, and was a second-team Capital One Academic All-American.

Linville holds every single-season and career receiving record in Franklin College football history. He caught 108 passes for 1,374 yards and 14 touchdowns during his senior season. For his career, he totaled 308 receptions, and his 4,691 receiving yards and 53 receiving touchdowns were the most by any active player in all NCAA divisions (I-FBS, I-FCS, II and III).

Franklin posted eight victories and advanced to the second round of the NCAA playoffs for the third consecutive season. The Grizzlies defeated Washington University-St. Louis 17-10 in a home first-round contest last fall.