Eastern Michigan Athletics
Wellock Named Groza Semifinalist
11/2/2006 10:29:32 PM | Football
EMU senior was runner-up for the award in 2004
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.--Eastern Michigan University senior place-kicker Andrew Wellock (North Canton, Ohio-Green) has been named a semifinalist for the 2006 Lou Groza Award.
The semifinal list for the 15th annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the FedEx Orange Bowl, includes the top 20 place-kickers in the nation. The top three finalists, named Nov. 21, are honored during the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Banquet and Silent Auction, Tuesday, December 5, 2006, at the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott. The winner is announced Thursday, December 7, 2006 during the ESPN Home Depot College Football Award Show in Orlando, Florida.
A 5-foot-11, 182-pound senior, Wellock was a finalist for the 2004 Groza Award, finishing runner-up for the honor to Ohio State’s Mike Nugent. He was also a semifinalist for the award in 2003 and was on the watch list in 2005.
Entering his senior year in 2006, Wellock had already rewritten the Eastern Michigan University football record book on the way to becoming one of the top kickers in the NCAA Division I-A ranks. Through the first eight games this year he has now made an EMU record 66 field goals, connecting on 66-of-81 three-point attempts. In addition, Wellock holds the EMU single-season record with 21 field goals in 2004, the second-best total of 18 in 2005, and the fifth-best mark of 14 in 2003, his freshman season. He has also made 88-of-91 PAT’s. His two 52 yard field goals, against Idaho (10-2-04) and Buffalo (11-19-05), are tied for the EMU longest and he is also tied for the single-game record with four field goals, accomplished three times.
Wellock was a third-team All-American selection by The Associated Press in 2004 and has also been a first-team All-Mid-American Conference pick the last two years as well as a two-time Academic All-MAC choice.
The award, now in its 15th year, is named for National Football League (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.
The Lou Groza Award is also sponsored by BankAtlantic, The Breakers, Continental Airlines, ESPN Radio 760, ESPN Regional Television, Florida Atlantic University Athletics, Florida Coca-Cola Bottling, Hartless Foundation, JBS Destination Solutions, Palm Beach Gardens Marriott, Palm Beach Kennel Club, The Palm Beach Post, Parallax Productions, PGA National Golf Club, Rooney’s Public House, Team A-fin-ity Sportfishing and WPEC News-12.
For more information regarding the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, please go to www.lougrozaaward.com or contact Dusty Ann Williams at the Palm Beach County Sports Institute at 561. 233.3122.
The 2006 Lou Groza Award Semifinal List
Name School Year
Andrew Wellock Eastern Michigan Sr.
Kenny Byrd New Mexico Sr.
Arthur Carmody Louisville So.
Gary Cismesia Florida State Jr.
Mason Crosby Colorado Sr.
Garrett Hartley Oklahoma Jr.
Jeremy Ito Rutgers Jr.
Brian Jackson Ball State Sr.
Justin Medlock UCLA Sr.
Taylor Melhaff Wisconsin Jr.
Brandon Pace Virginia Tech Sr.
Garrett Rivas Michigan Sr.
Reagan Schneider UTEP Sr.
Alexis Serna Oregon State Jr.
Patrick Shadle Syracuse So.
Ryan Succop South Carolina So.
Sam Swant Wake Forest So.
John Vaughn Auburn Sr.
James Wilhoit Tennessee Sr.
Jeff Wolfert Missouri Fr.
