Henry, Phillips & Spikes Named Semifinalists for Awards
Friday, October 31, 2008 | Football
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Gator punter Chas Henry (Dallas, Ga.) was named a top-10 semifinalist for the 2008 Ray Guy Award Wednesday by the Greater Augusta Sports Council. Presented annually to the nation's top collegiate punter, the Ray Guy Award measures net average, percentage of total punts inside the 20-yard line, average return yardage, and percentage of punts not returned.
Henry, the Gators' starting punter, has racked up 964 yards this season in punting, boasting a career-long 60-yarder in the season-opener against Hawaii. Henry has pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 10 times this season, while the Gators have held opponents to just 40 total yards in punt returns in 2008.
The Ray Guy Award is named after football legend, Ray Guy, the first punter ever inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (2004). According to NFL Hall of Fame historian Joe Horrigan, Ray Guy was “the first punter you could look at and say, 'he won games'”. The namesake award, which was created by the Greater Augusta Sports Council, was first presented in 2000.
A national voting body of Bowl Subdivision coaches, sports information directors, national media, and former Ray Guy Award winners will decide the three award finalists, and ultimately the winner of this year's award. The winner will be announced live on ESPN during the ESPNU - Home Depot College Football Awards show, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008. The winner will again be honored at the Greater Augusta Sports Award Gala in early 2009.
2008 Ray Guy Award Semifinalists
Bryan Anger, California, Freshman
Derek Epperson, Baylor, Sophomore
Ryan Donahue, Iowa, Sophomore
Matt Fodge, Oklahoma State, Senior
Chas Henry, Florida, Sophomore
Kevin Huber, Cincinnati, Senior
Pat McAfee, West Virginia, Senior
Zoltan Mesko, Michigan, Junior
Louie Sakoda, Utah, Senior
A.J. Trapasso, Ohio State, Senior
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NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Florida Linebacker Brandon Spikes (Shelby, N.C.) is one of twenty collegiate defensive players to earn a spot on the Lott Trophy quarterfinalist list, announced Wednesday. Named after Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, The Lott Trophy is awarded to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. Now in its fifth year, The Lott Trophy is the first and only college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player.
Sponsored by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, the Lott award is given to a player who exhibits the same characteristics Lott embodied during his distinguished career: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.
Spikes, a 6-3, 245-pound junior from Shelby, N.C., leads the Gators with 52 tackles and a pair of interceptions so far on the 2008 season.
Seven different conferences are represented on the list of 20, with the Southeastern Conference leading the way with five candidates. Nine linebackers, seven defensive linemen and four defensive backs comprise the 20 quarterfinalists.
Voters for the award include selected members of the national media, previous finalists, the Board of Directors of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation and Legends Coaches, a distinguished group of former head college coaches. The watch list will be trimmed to eight semifinalists on Nov. 11, and the four finalists, who will all be flown into California for the banquet, will be announced Nov. 26.
The winner will be announced at a gala black-tie banquet at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach Dec. 14. The keynote speaker will be long-time college football announcer Keith Jackson.
The 20 Quarterfinalists
Asher Allen, Jr., DB, Georgia
Eric Berry, So., DB, Tennessee
Aaron Curry, Sr., LB, Wake Forest
Brian Cushing, Sr., LB, USC
Zack Follett, Sr., LB, Cal
Mark Herzlich, Jr., LB, Boston College
George Hypolite, Sr., DT, Colorado
Jeremy Jarmon, Jr., DL, Kentucky
Malcolm Jenkins, Sr., DB, Ohio State
Jan Jorgensen, Jr., DE, BYU
James Laurinaitis, Sr., LB, Ohio State
Scott McKillop, Sr., LB, Pitt
Brit Miller, Sr., LB, Illinois
Eric Norwood, Jr., LB, South Carolina
Brian Orakpo, Sr., DE, Texas
Nick Reed, Sr., DE, Oregon
Myron Rolle, Jr., S, Florida State
George Selvie, Jr., DE, South Florida
Brandon Spikes, Jr., LB, Florida
Sean Weatherspoon, Jr., LB, Missouri
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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Palm Beach County (Florida) Sports Commission has announced UF kicker Jonathan Phillips (Wellington, Fla.) as one of 20 semifinalists for the 2008 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the FedEx Orange Bowl.
Phillips is the only kicker in the Southeastern Conference to be perfect in field goals, hitting nine-of-nine this season so far, while tacking on 37-of-38 point-after attempts. Phillips boasts a career-long 40-yard field goal, and also leads the Gators in scoring, with 64 points in kicks this season.
The 20 semifinalists will be voted on by a panel consisting of all Division 1 coaches and
SID's, along with national, regional and local football writers and others who will select the three finalists. The three finalists will be invited to the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet December 7-9 in West Palm Beach, Fla. The winner will be announced live on the nationally televised Home Deport ESPNU College Football Awards Program on the evening of Dec. 11, 2008.
The award is named in honor of one of the all-time great kickers in Football history,
Lou Groza. Groza played 21 seasons for the Cleveland Browns setting 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'
record, and he ranks third all-time in league. Groza was inducted into
the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974.
Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards 2008 National Semi-Finalists
(In alphabetical Order)
Josh Arauco, Senior, Arkansas State
Jason Bondzio, Junior, University of Arizona
Matt Bosher, Sophomore, University of Miami
Ross Evans, Freshman, TCU
Graham Gano, Senior, Florida State University
Sam Glusman, Junior, Troy
Ryan Harrison, Junior, Air Force
Matt Harmon, Senior, Navy
Kevin Kelly, Senior, Penn State
Dustin Keys, Senior, Virginia Tech
Jose Martinez, Senior, UTEP
Pat McAfee, Senior, West Virginia
Jonathan Phillips, Senior, University of Florida
Jake Rogers, Sophomore, University of Cincinnati
Louis Sakoda, Senior, Utah
Patrick Shadle, Senior, Syracuse
Joshua Shene, Junior, Ole Miss
Leigh Tiffin, Junior, Alabama
Phillip Welch, Sophomore, Wisconsin
Jeff Wolfert, Senior, Missouri
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