Bowling Green State University Athletics
Photo by: Luke Allen, BGSU Athletics
Needham Named a Semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award
November 04, 2021 | Football
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Bowling Green placekicker Nate Needham is one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, presented by the Orange Bowl, as announced by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. He is one of two players from the MAC on the list.
Needham (Chesterton, Ind.) is 14-of-14 on field goal attempts this season. He is one of eight FBS players who is perfect on the year, but his 14 made field goals rank No. 1 in the nation among those who are perfect. He is one of two FBS players who is a perfect 9-of-9 on field goals of 40 yards or more. He is a nominee for the Bulworth Trophy and has been named MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week twice this season.
National College Football Awards Association
The Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit NCFAA.org and @NCFAA on Twitter to learn more about the association.
About the Palm Beach County Sports Commission
The Palm Beach County Sports Commission is a private, not-for-profit organization contracted by Palm Beach County to promote and market the County as a sports and sports tourism destination. The Commission brings sporting events and activities to the County, enhances economic impact, stimulates bed tax revenues (primarily in the off-season), and maximizes utilization of County facilities. The Commission offers a full range of event service support, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and a local membership program that support its goals. Local, regional, national, and international marketing efforts are ongoing by the Commission with sports organizations and event owners. The Commission also produces sports-related programs for the residents of Palm Beach County including the annual Lou Groza Award program, the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame, the Kids Fitness Festival of the Palm Beaches, and the annual Holiday Basketball Classic of the Palm Beaches. For more information on the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, go to www.palmbeachsports.com.
Needham (Chesterton, Ind.) is 14-of-14 on field goal attempts this season. He is one of eight FBS players who is perfect on the year, but his 14 made field goals rank No. 1 in the nation among those who are perfect. He is one of two FBS players who is a perfect 9-of-9 on field goals of 40 yards or more. He is a nominee for the Bulworth Trophy and has been named MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week twice this season.
| Semifinalists will be voted on by a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers to select the three finalists. These finalists will be announced on Nov. 23 and honored at the 30th annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Virtual Awards Celebration, streamed live on Dec. 8 on lougrozaaward.com. The same panel then selects the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 9. The 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. Since the first Lou Groza Award was handed out in 1992, 28 finalists, including 16 winners, have gone on to appear in the NFL, earning 11 trips to the Pro Bowl and taking home 6 Super Bowls. That list includes 2021 NFL kickers Rodrigo Blankenship, Randy Bullock, Daniel Carlson Mason Crosby, Jake Elliott, Ka'imi Fairbairn, Graham Gano, Matt Gay, Zane Gonzalez, Dustin Hopkins, Younghoe Koo and Cairo Santos. |
The Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit NCFAA.org and @NCFAA on Twitter to learn more about the association.
About the Palm Beach County Sports Commission
The Palm Beach County Sports Commission is a private, not-for-profit organization contracted by Palm Beach County to promote and market the County as a sports and sports tourism destination. The Commission brings sporting events and activities to the County, enhances economic impact, stimulates bed tax revenues (primarily in the off-season), and maximizes utilization of County facilities. The Commission offers a full range of event service support, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and a local membership program that support its goals. Local, regional, national, and international marketing efforts are ongoing by the Commission with sports organizations and event owners. The Commission also produces sports-related programs for the residents of Palm Beach County including the annual Lou Groza Award program, the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame, the Kids Fitness Festival of the Palm Beaches, and the annual Holiday Basketball Classic of the Palm Beaches. For more information on the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, go to www.palmbeachsports.com.
Players Mentioned
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