Lou Groza National Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Announces Top 20 Semifinalists

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1 FOR RELEASE 10:00 AM EST 11/6/14 Contact: Kris Pursell, Director of Event Operations (561) Lou Groza National Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Announces Top 20 Semifinalists West Palm Beach, Fla. -- The Palm Beach County Sports Commission has released the 20 semifinalists for the 2014 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the Orange Bowl. These twenty kickers have all excelled throughout the season in earning their places as semifinalists. While last year s winner Roberto Aguayo makes the list in his bid to become just the second repeat winner, the sophomore from Florida State is one of only six returning semifinalists. Maryland junior Brad Craddock, Arizona State sophomore Zane Gonzalez, and Utah sophomore Andy Phillips join Aguayo in repeating last year s semifinalist honors, while Duke junior Ross Martin and TCU junior Jaden Oberkrom return after earning semifinalist nods in Craddock and Martin are the only FBS kickers with at least ten field goals who have yet to miss a kick of any kind, while Oberkrom leads the country in kick-scoring per game with 11.3 points per contest. But it s two new names who top the national leaderboard in field goals. West Virginia sophomore Josh Lambert and Ball State senior Scott Secor have already booted 21 field goals, three more than the next kicker, Oklahoma State sophomore and new semifinalist Ben Grogan. While Secor has the edge in field goals per game, leading the nation with 2.63, Lambert is the nation s top long-distance kicker, going 4- for-4 on kicks from over 50 yards. All ten FBS kickers who have hit double-digit field goals at a rate of at least 85% are on the list: Craddock (100), Martin (100), Aguayo (93.3), Air Force senior Will Conant (92.9), Cincinnati freshman Andrew Gantz (90.9), Penn State senior Sam Ficken (89.5), Houston junior Kyle Bullard (86.7), Syracuse freshman Cole Murphy (85.7), Virginia junior Ian Frye (85.0), and Phillips (85.0). Lambert and Phillips are the only FBS kickers to rack up more than ten field goals just on kicks from at least 40 yards out, hitting 12 and 11 respectively. Craddock is third in the country with 9, followed by four kickers tied at 6 apiece, all of whom make the list: Bullard, Ficken, Secor and Louisville junior John Wallace. Semifinalists will be voted on by FBS Head Coaches and SIDs, past Groza finalists, and national and regional football writers to select the three finalists. These finalists will be announced on November 24 th and honored at the 23 rd annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on December 9 th in West Palm Beach, Florida. The winner will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College

2 Football Awards Show on Thursday, December 11 th. The award is named in honor of one of the all-time great kickers in football history, Lou Groza. Groza played 21 seasons for the Cleveland Browns setting numerous franchise records, including most games played, most points scored, and an amazing 107 consecutive games in which he scored a point. Groza was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Since the first Lou Groza Award was handed out in 1992, 20 finalists, including 11 winners, have gone on to appear in the NFL, earning eight trips to the Pro Bowl and taking home five Super Bowls. That list includes current NFL kickers Dan Bailey, Randy Bullock, Mason Crosby, Kai Forbath, Graham Gano, Sebastian Janikowski, Mike Nugent, Cairo Santos, Caleb Sturgis, and Blair Walsh. For more information regarding the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, please visit LouGrozaAward.com, or on Twitter for updates as they happen. Additional information can be obtained by contacting Kris Pursell, Director of Event Operations at the Palm Beach County Sports Commission at (561) or kpursell@palmbeachsports.com. The Lou Groza Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 21 awards boast 678 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit to learn more about our story. The Palm Beach County Sports Commission is a private, not-for-profit organization contracted by Palm Beach County to promote and market the County as a sports and sports tourism destination. The Commission brings sporting events and activities to the County, enhances economic impact, stimulates bed tax revenues (primarily in the off-season), and maximizes utilization of County facilities. The Commission offers a full range of event service support, corporate partnerships, sponsorships and a local membership program that support its goals. Local, regional, national and international marketing efforts are ongoing by the Commission with sports organizations and event owners. The Commission also produces sports-related programs for the residents of Palm Beach County including the annual Lou Groza Awards program, the Sports Hall of Fame and the Kids Fitness Festival of the Palm Beaches. For more information on the Palm Beach County Sports Commission go to Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards 2014 National Semifinalists (In alphabetical Order Statistics as of November 4) Corey Acosta Southern Miss Height: 6'0" - Weight: Class: Senior - Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee Roberto Aguayo Florida State Height: 6'1" - Weight: Class: Sophomore - Hometown: Mascotte, Florida

3 Kyle Bullard Houston Height: 5'11" - Weight: Class: Junior - Hometown: Boerne, Texas Will Conant Air Force Height: 6'2" - Weight: Class: Senior - Hometown: Edmond, Oklahoma Brad Craddock Maryland Height: 6'0" - Weight: Class: Junior - Hometown: Adelaide, Australia Sam Ficken Penn State Height: 6'2" - Weight: Class: Senior - Hometown: Valparaiso, Indiana Elliott Fry South Carolina Height: 6'0" - Weight: Class: Sophomore - Hometown: Frisco, Texas Ian Frye Virginia Height: 6'6" - Weight: Class: Junior - Hometown: Bristol, Virginia Andrew Gantz Cincinnati Height: 5'9" - Weight: Class: Freshman - Hometown: Dayton, Ohio

4 Zane Gonzalez Arizona State Height: 6'1" - Weight: Class: Sophomore - Hometown: Deer Park, Texas Ben Grogan Oklahoma State Height: 6'1" - Weight: Class: Sophomore - Hometown: Arlington, Texas Ammon Lakip Clemson Height: 5 11" - Weight: Class: Junior - Hometown: Johns Creek, Georgia Josh Lambert West Virginia Height: 5'11" - Weight: Class: Sophomore - Hometown: Garland, Texas Justin Manton ULM Height: 6 2" - Weight: Class: Senior - Hometown: Prairieville, Louisiana Ross Martin Duke Height: 5'10" - Weight: Class: Junior - Hometown: Solon, Ohio Cole Murphy Syracuse Height: 6'3" - Weight: Class: Freshman - Hometown: Castaic, California

5 Jaden Oberkrom TCU Height: 6'3" - Weight: Class: Junior - Hometown: Arlington, Texas Andy Phillips Utah Height: 5'10" - Weight: Class: Sophomore - Hometown: Draper, Utah Scott Secor Ball State Height: 5'8" - Weight: Class: Senior - Hometown: New Lenox, Illinois John Wallace Louisville Height: 6'0" - Weight: Class: Junior - Hometown: Cecilia, Kentucky