BATON ROUGE – LSU sophomore Cade York has been named as one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, which is presented annually to the top placekicker in college football.
York, from McKinney Texas, has connected on 11-of-14 field goals this year with four of his kicks coming from 50-plus yards. York ranks No. 4 in the Southeastern Conference in total field goals (11) and he’s tied for first in the SEC in point-after touchdown percentage having connected on all 27 of his PATs.
In the win over Vanderbilt, York set a career-best with 53-yard field goal, just one yard shy of the school record of 54 yard held by a trio of Tigers – Cole Tracy vs. Miami in 2018, Wade Richey vs. Kentucky in 1996 and Ron Lewis vs. North Carolina in 1985.
A second-team All-SEC selection in 2019, York has eight career field goals or 50 yards or longer. Last year, York kicked a 52-yard field goal in the win over Ole Miss on his way to setting both the LSU and SEC single-season record for points by kicking with 152.
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 December 22nd and honored at the 29th annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Virtual Awards Celebration, streamed live on January 4th on lougrozaaward.com. The same panel then selects the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Thursday, January 7th.
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.
(Release via LSU Athletics)