Toledo's Vest & Ohio's Zervos Named To 2018 Lou Groza Award Watch List
Toledo's Vest & Ohio's Zervos Named To 2018 Lou Groza Award Watch List
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Watch List for the 2018 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award was announced by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. Representing the MAC are Toledo senior Jameson Vest and Ohio junior Louie Zervos.
Vest, a native of Peachtree City, Ga., was named First-Team All-MAC last season after converting 25 of his 30 field goal attempts. He posted career highs in field goals made, field goal percentage (83.3), and points scored (131). Among active FBS kickers, Vest has successfully completed the second-most field goals (57) and tallied the third-most points (337). Coming into the 2018 season, the senior ranks fourth in school history in career field goals made, and last season broke the previous single-season record for field goals.
Zervos, a native of Tarpon Springs, Fla., finished the 2017 season 15-of-18 in field goal attempts for an 83.3 percent average. He registered season-long 46-yard fields twice -- on Sept. 16, 2017, in a 42-30 victory against Kansas, and again on Nov. 14, 2017, at Akron. Zervos was 61-of-64 on extra points, helping him register 106 total points on the season.
Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award will announce its 20 semifinalists on Thursday, November 1st. From this list, a panel of more than 300 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers selects the top three finalists for the award by Tuesday, November 20th. That same group then selects the national winner, who will be announced on Thursday, December 6th during the Home Depot College Football Awards Show.
The 27th Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the Orange Bowl, recognizes the three finalists during a celebration in Palm Beach County, culminating with a gala awards banquet at West Palm Beach’s Kravis Center for the Performing Arts on December 3rd.
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. For more information on the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award and to see the “Stars of the Week” throughout the season, please go to www.lougrozaaward.com. For even more updates on the best kicking performances throughout the season, follow @LouGrozaAward on Twitter.
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. The 24 awards boast over 722 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.orgto learn more about our story. The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a 12-day period this month. Seventeen of the association’s 24 awards select a preseason watch list, and the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates.
