Sean Comiskey makes Preseason Watch List for Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award

[NewsCopy]

Kickers on the Lou Groza Award Preseason Watch List were chosen based on statistics from the 2004 season and 2005 preseason expectations. However, all Division I-A kickers are eligible for consideration for the award.

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 Monday, October 31, 2005, followed with the naming of the three finalists two weeks later on Monday, November 14, 2005.

The award, now in its 14th 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.

A brief biography of each player on the Lou Groza Award Preseason Watch List can be found at www.lougrozaaward.com beginning August 31, 2005.

The rest of the story

[mickzat]

Have a great year, Sean! We''ll we cheering for you!

[NewsCopy]

The life of a place kicker is ruled by euphoric highs and depressing lows, depending upon the success or falure of the last field goal attempt.

Sean Comiskey, the senior kicker for Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns, has hit 35-of-55 career attempts and was an All-Sun Belt Conference performer in 2003. But he was a modest 14-of-22 in 2004 and is looking to rediscover his stroke this fall.

"It's all from the ears up with those kickers," said UL head coach Rickey Bustle, who focuses on special teams details. "They're usually sort of out there.

"I think Sean had a little lack of confidence last year. What happened is, I asked him to try a couple of long field goals in a couple of early games - field goals I'd seen him make every day in practice - and he missed them.

"But I don't have any doubt he'll bounce back. With Sean, you didn't have to tell him to work harder. He was out here every day in summer, working on his kicking."

Comiskey is one of 30 players on the 2005 Lou Groza Award preseason watch list, joined by Middle Tennessee's Colby Smith among others, so Bustle isn't the only one who figures Comiskey can rebound from 2004.

The former Rummel standout is firmly established as the Cajuns' kicker, but the punting job is up for grabs between sophomore incumbant David Schexnayder and JC transfer Brit Framel. Framel is also pushing to be UL's kickoff man.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com