North Carolina State University Athletics
John Deraney Named to Groza Watch List
8/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
NC State's John Deraney has done it all in his career - punting, place kicking and kickoffs - and has been recently named to the Lou Groza Place-Kicker Award watch list. As one of 30 preliminary canidates for the award in 2006, Deraney will add that to his resume along with his semifinalist honors for the 2005 Lou Groza Award. The top three finalists are honored during the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Banquet and silent auction on Tuesday, December 5 at the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott. The winner is announced on Thursday, December 7 during the ESPN Home Depot College Football Award Show in Orlando, Fla.
Kickers on the Lou Groza Award Watch List were chosen based on statistics from the 2005 season and 2006 preseason expectations. However, all Division I-A kickers are eligible for consideration for the award. Deraney is looking to match the accomplishment of former NC State All-America placekicker Marc Primanti, who won the Groza Award in 1996.
A panel of over 300 experts vote on the award, including Division I-A head coaches, sports writers and sportscasters, conference representatives, professional kickers and all previous Groza Award finalists.
The 20 semi-finalists for the Lou Groza Award are announced on Tuesday November 7, 2006, followed with the naming of the three finalists two weeks later on Tuesday, November 21, 2006.
The award, now in its 15th year, is named for National Football League (NFL) Hall-of-Fame kicker Lou 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. Nicknamed "The Toe," Groza was one of the first people to truly make kicking an art form, and he helped usher in to football the idea that a player could be used exclusively for kicking.
The Lou Groza Award is also sponsored by BankAtlantic, The Breakers, Continental Airlines, ESPN Radio 760, ESPN Regional Television, Florida Atlantic University Athletics, Florida Coca-Cola Bottling, Hartless Foundation, JBS Destination Solutions, Palm Beach Gardens Marriott, Palm Beach Kennel Club, The Palm Beach Post, Parallax Productions, PGA National Golf Club, Rooney’s Public House, Team A-fin-ity Sportfishing and WPEC News-12.
For more information regarding the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, please go to www.lougrozaaward.com or contact Dusty Ann Williams at the Palm Beach County Sports Institute at (561) 233-3122.NC State opens its season on September 2 against Appalachian St. in Raleigh, N.C.
