Todd Sievers Named To Groza Award Watch List
Aug. 7, 2001
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West Palm Beach, Fla. – For the first time, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission is pleased to present the 2001 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Preseason Watch List. This list is comprised of the top 30 preliminary candidates for the 10th Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the FedEx Orange Bowl. The award will be given out during the awards banquet on Tuesday, December 4, at the Sheraton at CityPlace in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Among those kickers named to the Lou Groza Award Watch List are 2000 Lou Groza Award winner Jonathan Ruffin of Cincinnati and Alex Walls of Tennessee, a finalist for last year’s award. Several of the top teams in the nation are represented on the Watch List by their kickers – Jeff Chandler of Florida, Todd Sievers of Miami, and Ryan Cesca of Oregon State. Also, defending National Champion Oklahoma’s returning kicker Tim Duncan is included on the list. A brief biography of each player on the Lou Groza Award Watch List can be found at www.palmbeachsports.com/Groza .
The website will also feature a special interactive online voting section. This feature, which will be fully operational shortly, allows anyone to vote for who they think should win the Lou Groza Award. The online voting feature is purely for fun and has no influence on the actual voting for the award.
The kickers on the Lou Groza Award Watch List were chosen based on statistics from the 2000 season and on preseason expectations. However, any Division I kicker is eligible for consideration for the award. The Watch List is more of a reference than anything else for the over 300 Division I coaches, national media members, previous winners, and NFL kickers who vote on the award.
The 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award will be announced in late October, followed several weeks later by the naming of the three Lou Groza Award finalists.
The award, now in its 10th year, is named for NFL Hall-of-Fame kicker Lou 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. Nicknamed “The Toe,” Groza was one of the first people to truly make kicking an art form, and he helped usher in to football the idea that a player could be used exclusively for kicking.
For more information regarding the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, go to www.palmbeachsports.com.
2001 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award
Preseason Watch List
NAME, SCHOOL, CLASS
John Anderson, Washington, Jr.Steve Azar, No. Illinois, So.Mike Barth, Arizona State, Jr.Billy Bennett, Georgia, So.Javier Beorlegui, Central Florida, Sr.Andy Brumbergs, Miami (OH), Jr.Nick Calaycay, Boise State, Jr.Ryan Cesca, Oregon State, Jr.Jeff Chandler, Florida, Sr.Travis Dorsch, Purdue, Sr.Tim Duncan, Oklahoma, Sr.Damon Duval, Auburn, Jr.Chris Earnest, Tulsa, Sr.Todd France, Toledo, Sr.Rhett Gallego, Ala.-Birmingham, Jr.Chris Griffith, UCLA, Jr.Seth Hanson, Kentucky, Sr.Nate Kaeding, Iowa, So.Sean Keel, Arizona, Jr.Brian Kelly, Mid. Tennessee St., So.Luke Manget, Georgia Tech, Jr.Seth Marler, Tulane, Jr.Dan Nystrom, Minnesota, Jr.Jeff Reed, North Carolina, Sr.Jonathan Ruffin, Cincinnati, Jr.Todd Sievers, Miami, Sr.Toller Starnes, E. Michigan, Sr.Neal Thomas, Alabama, Sr.Alex Walls, Tennessee, Jr.Carter Warley, Virginia Tech, So.
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