Wes Byrum could win the Lou Groza award for kickers

Wes Byrum

Aug. 20, 2010

AUBURN - Auburn senior kicker Wes Byrum is one of 30 players who have been named to the watch list for the Lou Groza Award, the West Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced Friday.

The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the nation's top placekicker, as determined by a voting panel of NCAA Division 1 head coaches, sports writers and sportscasters from across the county, conference representatives, professional kickers and previous winners.

Byrum was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award in 2009 after setting a school single-season record for points by a kicker with 99, while missing just one kick all season. He connected on 15-of-16 field goals attempts (.938) and made all 54 PATs. His field goal percentage set an Auburn single-season record and ranked second nationally among kickers with at least 10 field goal attempts, while his 54 extra points were also the most in a single season in school history.

Byrum enters his senior season ranked fifth on Auburn's all-time scoring list with 240 career points, and needs 73 points to surpass John Vaughn (2003-06) as the school's all-time leading scorer. He has made 43-of-58 field goals during his career, and his percentage of .741 ranks fourth in school history.

Kickers on the Lou Groza Award watch list were chosen based on statistics from the 2009 season as well as 2010 preseason expectations. Fifteen semifinalists are returning from 2009, including last year's winner Kai Forbath of UCLA.

Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Place Kicker Award will announce its 20 semifinalists on Oct. 29. A panel of more than 300 experts will select the top three finalists for the award on Nov. 22. The same group then selects the national winner which will be announced on Dec. 9 during the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Award Show in Orlando, Fla.

The award is named for NFL Hall of Fame kicker Lou "The Toe" Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships and was named the NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Although an all-pro offensive lineman, Groza ushered in the notion that there should be a place on an NFL roster for a kicker.