WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – University of Connecticut sophomore kicker Dave Teggart (Northborough, Mass.) has been named to the Preseason Watch List for the 2009 Lou Groza Award given by the Palm Beach Sports Association.
In 1992, The Palm Beach County Sports Commission established the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker award. This award is given annually to the nation’s top collegiate place-kicker as determined by a voting panel of head coaches, sports writers and sportscasters from across the county, conference representatives, professional kickers and previous winners.
The three finalists are invited to Palm Beach County, Florida after the end of the college season for the Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Banquet, presented by the FedEx Orange Bowl. This gala three-day program recognizes the accomplishments of the kickers in a variety of community outreach activities culminating with an awards banquet that is the start of the South Florida holiday football season.
The announcement of the winner is made during The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show broadcast live from Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 10, 2009.
Teggart became UConn’s regular field goal and extra points kicker after the seventh game of the 2008 season. He was 13 of 15 on field goals and a perfect 16 for 16 on extra points. He made the first 11 field goals of his collegiate career and the 11 consecutive field goals set a school record.
In his first career game against Cincinnati (10/25), he was a perfect four of four in field goals. He was a two-time BIG EAST Special Team Player of the Week for his performances against the Bearcats and Syracuse (Nov. 15) – when he connected on three field goals. He also contributed five extra points and a 32-yard field goal in the International Bowl victory over Buffalo (Jan. 3).
The award is named in honor of one of the all-time great kickers in football history, Lou Groza. After serving in World War II, Groza signed with the Cleveland Browns in 1946. A six-time all-pro tackle, Groza really earned his fame, and his famous nickname, “The Toe,” as a kicker. In 1950 Groza won the NFL championship game for the Browns by kicking a field goal with 28 seconds left. That was just the first of what would turn out to be four championships that Groza and the Cleveland Browns shared.
Groza would go on to play for 21 seasons with Cleveland until he retired in 1967 as the last of the “original” Browns. During his career, Groza set 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’ franchise record, and he ranks third all-time in league history.
Lou was a nine-time all-pro and won an amazing eight championships, four in the AAFC (1946-1949) and four in the NFL (1950, 1954-1955, 1964). He was named as NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Groza was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974, and is one of only five Cleveland Browns to have his number, 76, retired. Groza passed away in 2000 at the age of 76.
The complete Watch List consists of: Josh Arauco, Arkansas St.; James Aho, New Mexico; Matt Bosher, Miami; Kyle Brotzman, Boise State; Josh Czajkowski, North Carolina State; Ross Evans, TCU; Clark Fangmeier, Rice; Kai Forbath, UCLA; Sam Glusman, Troy; Kevin Goessling, Fresno State; Ben Hartman, East Carolina; Alex Henery, Nebraska; Hunter Lawrence, Texas; Daniel Lincoln, Tennessee; Nick Maggio, Duke; Aaron Pettrey, Ohio State; Jonathan Phillips, Florida; Jake Rogers, Cincinnati; Mike Salerno, Northern Illinois; Joshua Shene, Mississippi; Alex Steigerwald, Toledo; Jimmy Stevens, Oklahoma; Brett Swenson, Michigan State; Dave Teggart, Connecticut; Leigh Tiffin, Alabama; Brandon Walker, Notre Dame; Blair Walsh, Georgia; Thomas Weber, Arizona State; Philip Welch, Wisconsin; Carson Wiggs, Purdue.
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