Florida Gators kicker Trey Smack named to Lou Groza Award preseason watch list
Senior kicker Trey Smack was named to the prestigious watch list for the second time in his collegiate career, also getting the call back in 2023 when he finished among the semifinalists. While he missed out in 2024, his performance last season was arguably better, playing in all 13 games while nailing 18 of 21 field goal attempts and remaining perfect in PATs for the second-straight season with 44 — giving him a total of 73 straight PATs over two years.
Smack has earned the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week award thrice (Week 12, 2024; Week 7, 2023; Week 4, 2023) and Lou Groza Star of the Week honors twice (Week 7, 2023; Week 4, 2023).
About the Lou Groza Award
The Lou Groza Award — named after the NFL great who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns after serving in World War II — is presented each year to the best placekicker in college football. Groza was a nine-time all-pro player and won four AAFC championships and four NFL championships before retiring in 1967.
The qualifications for the award include inclusion among the 30 players on the preseason watch list, which is determined by a player's statistics from the previous season and their preseason expectations.
The 30-athlete watch list will be trimmed down to a group of 20 semifinalists on Nov. 18 by a selection committee. From that group of semifinalists, three finalists will be announced on Nov. 25, with the winner being selected on Dec. 12. Athletes are chosen to advance to the next round by a panel of more than 100 members, which consists of FBS head coaches, sports information directors, media members, former Groza finalists and current NFL kickers.
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