Bowling Green State University Athletics
Nate Needham Earns First-Team All-America Honors from the FWAA
December 10, 2021 | Football
BGSU placekicker is the only MAC player honored by the Football Writers Association of America
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Bowling Green placekicker Nate Needham was named to the 2021 Football Writers Association of America's (FWAA) All-America team, presented by the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. He was named to the first team as a placekicker and is the only player from the Mid-American Conference to earn All-America accolades in 2021 from the FWAA.
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The FWAA is one of five outlets that the NCAA recognizes in compiling its annual consensus All-America squad. The others are the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Associated Press, the Sporting News and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).Â
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Needham (Sr., Chesterton, Ind.) is No. 1 in the nation in field goal success rate (95 percent) after going 19-of-20. He connected on 92.3 percent (12-of-13) of field goals from 40+ yards, which is tops in the nation. Needham is one of five players in the nation that is perfect from 50+ yards with multiple attempts. He made a 50-yard field goal at Tennessee and connected on a career-long 52-yard field goal at Kent State. Needham, a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, earlier this month was named first-team All-MAC. He also earned MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week three times this season.
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Needham is only the third Falcon all-time to be named an All-American by the FWAA. He joins wide receiver Freddie Barnes, who earned first-team honors in 2009 and defensive tackle Chris Jones, who earned first-team accolades in 2012. Needham is just the second Bowling Green placekicker to earn All-America honors. He joins Brian Leaver who earned first-team accolades from the Associated Press and Football News in 1994.Â
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Needham is one of seven players on the first team from a "Group of Five" school. There were a record 12 players on the combined team from a "Group of Five" institution, which was 22 percent of the total picks.Â
The FWAA All-America Team was first selected in 1944, three years after the organization was formed.  Since 1945, the FWAA All-America Team has been among the five teams used to formulate the NCAA's annual consensus All-America team.
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The FWAA is one of five outlets that the NCAA recognizes in compiling its annual consensus All-America squad. The others are the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Associated Press, the Sporting News and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).Â
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Needham (Sr., Chesterton, Ind.) is No. 1 in the nation in field goal success rate (95 percent) after going 19-of-20. He connected on 92.3 percent (12-of-13) of field goals from 40+ yards, which is tops in the nation. Needham is one of five players in the nation that is perfect from 50+ yards with multiple attempts. He made a 50-yard field goal at Tennessee and connected on a career-long 52-yard field goal at Kent State. Needham, a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, earlier this month was named first-team All-MAC. He also earned MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week three times this season.
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Needham is only the third Falcon all-time to be named an All-American by the FWAA. He joins wide receiver Freddie Barnes, who earned first-team honors in 2009 and defensive tackle Chris Jones, who earned first-team accolades in 2012. Needham is just the second Bowling Green placekicker to earn All-America honors. He joins Brian Leaver who earned first-team accolades from the Associated Press and Football News in 1994.Â
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Needham is one of seven players on the first team from a "Group of Five" school. There were a record 12 players on the combined team from a "Group of Five" institution, which was 22 percent of the total picks.Â
The FWAA All-America Team was first selected in 1944, three years after the organization was formed.  Since 1945, the FWAA All-America Team has been among the five teams used to formulate the NCAA's annual consensus All-America team.
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Players Mentioned
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