JUPITER, Florida — The Palm Beach County Sports Commission today named BYU sophomore Jake Oldroyd one of three finalists for the 2020 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the Orange Bowl.
Joining Oldroyd as finalists for the award are Jose Borregales of Miami (FL) and Will Reichard of Alabama.
Oldroyd, from Southlake, Texas, finished the regular season a perfect 13-for-13 on field goals, the most by an FBS kicker without a miss this season. More than half of those kicks came from at least 40 yards out, including three from over 50. That gives him more 50-yard FGs in a perfect season than any FBS kicker since at least 2004. In Palm Beach County with BYU to play in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday, Oldroyd has helped the Cougars to a 10-1 record and No. 13 national ranking.
The 6-1, 195-pound sophomore has made at least one field goal in nine of the 10 games he has played, including four games with multiple conversions. While sharing the top spot in nation with a perfect percentage, he has also converted 53 of 55 extra points to rank No. 4 nationally for the most PAT conversions, while his 92 total points in 2020 ranks No. 8 in the country.
Oldroyd was among 20 semifinalists that were narrowed to the three finalist after voting by a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists and current NFL kickers.
This year, fans can have their part in naming the winner of the Lou Groza Award. Fans can visit www.lougrozaaward.com and cast a vote for their favorite of the three finalists selected by the national panel of voters. The finalist who receives the greatest total of fan votes will be given one vote on the final ballot. One vote can make a difference in the final outcome, so fans are encouraged to participate.
The three finalists will be honored at the 29th Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Virtual Awards Celebration, streamed live on January 4th on lougrozaaward.com. This year’s Lou Groza Award winner will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, January 7th. For more information on the Lou Groza Award and the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, visit www.palmbeachsports.com.
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 10 trips to the Pro Bowl and taking home six Super Bowls. That list includes 2020 NFL kickers Dan Bailey, Rodrigo Blankenship, Randy Bullock, Daniel Carlson, Mason Crosby, Jake Elliott, Ka’imi Fairbairn, Kai Forbath, Graham Gano, Matt Gay, Zane Gonzalez, Dustin Hopkins, Younghoe Koo, and Cairo Santos.
For more information regarding the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, please visit LouGrozaAward.com, or follow @LouGrozaAward on Twitter for updates as they happen.
National College Football Awards Association
The Lou Groza 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 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.