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Randolph Named a Semifinalist for Lou Groza Award
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The Palm Beach County Sports Commission has named UVa sophomore Robert Randolph as one of its 20 semifinalists for the 2009 Lou Groza Collegiate Placekicker Award presented by the FedEx Orange Bowl.
Randolph becomes the third Cavalier placekicker all-time to be named to the award’s semifinalist list since its inception in 1992. Rafael Garcia was a finalist in 1996 for the ‘Hoos and Connor Hughes was a semifinalist in 2005.
This season, Randolph ranks No. 14 in the nation with 1.56 field goals per game. The Naples, Fla., native has succeeded on 93 percent (14-of-15) of his field goals attempts, with his lone errant kick coming off a mishandled snap during UVa’s rain-soaked contest against No. 11 Georgia Tech.
Randolph has set his career high in field goal distance three times this season, culminating with a 49-yard kick against No. 11 Georgia Tech.
Randolph and Duke’s Will Snyderwine represent the ACC on the semifinalist list. Only two placekickers in ACC history have won the Lou Groza Award. N.C. State’s Marc Primanti took the honors in 1996, while Florida State’s Sebastian Janikowski won the award in 1998 and 1999.
All Division I head coaches and SIDs will vote on semifinalists, along with national, regional and local football writers and others who will select the three finalists. These finalists will be honored at the Lou Groza Collegiate Placekicker Awards Banquet on Dec. 8 in West Palm Beach, Fla. The winner will be announced live on the nationally televised Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show on the evening of Dec. 10.
The award is named in honor of one of the all-time great kickers in football history, Lou Groza. Playing for 21 seasons for the Cleveland Browns, Groza set numerous franchise records, including most games played, most points scored, and an amazing 107 consecutive games in which he scored a point. The 1,608 career points he scored is still a Browns’ franchise record, ranking third all-time in league history. Groza was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974.