8:33 am | July 25, 2019 | Go to Source | Author:
Three Big 12 football student-athletes were named to both the Lou Groza Award Watch list and the Ray Guy Award watch list.
The Guy award saw KU’s Kyle Thompson, Kansas State’s Devin Antcil, and Texas’ Ryan Bujcevski earn honors. On the Groza watch list, K-State’s Blake Lynch, UT’s Cameron Dicker and West Virginia’s Evan Staley garner recognition.
Three Big 12 student-athletes have previously won the Lou Groza Award for the nation’s best place-kicker, as five have earned the Ray Guy Award for the nation’s best punter.
While the Groza Award Watch List highlights 30 of the best returning kickers in the country, Szmyt, who as a freshman was thus not on last year’s Watch List, stands as proof that the Groza Committee will be watching all FBS kickers throughout the season, FBS kickers remain eligible to be selected as semifinalists.
The Groza Award is named for National Football League Hall of Fame kicker Lou “The Toe” Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships with Cleveland and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Although an All-Pro offensive lineman as well, Groza ushered in the notion that there should be a place on an NFL roster for a kicker.
The Ray Guy Award was created in 2000 to honor Thomson, Georgia native and College and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Ray Guy. Among the statistics used to identify the winner is net punting average, number of times punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned with particular emphasis placed on net punting average. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team’s success.
Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award will announce its 20 semifinalists on Thursday, November 7. From this list, a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers selects the top three finalists for the award, announced on Tuesday, November 26.
The Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semifinalists, who will be announced on November 19. A national body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, media representatives and previous Ray Guy Award winners will then vote for the top three finalists to be announced on November 25. After the finalists are named, the voting body will cast ballots again to select the nation’s top punter.
The winner for both awards will be announced live during The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 12.
Big 12 Student-Athletes on Ray Guy Award Watch List
Kyle Thompson, Kansas
Devin Antcil, Kansas State
Ryan Bujcevski, Texas
Big 12 Student-Athletes on Lou Groza Award Watch List
Blake Lynch, Kansas State
Cameron Dicker, Texas
Evan Staley, West Virginia
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