Oldroyd named to Lou Groza Award preseason watch list

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — BYU kicker Jake Oldroyd was named to the preseason watch list for the 2022 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission.

The award is named after NFL Hall of Fame kicker Lou “The Toe” Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954.

Oldroyd was selected to the Groza Award watch list for the third time. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound kicker from Southlake, Texas was a finalist for the award in 2020, when he was a perfect 13 of 13 in field goals and 60 of 62 in extra points on the season. 

As a sophomore in 2020, Oldroyd was named Second-Team All-America by Walter Camp, and The Athletic. He was also honored by the Associated Press and Phil Steele as Third-Team All-America. 

Despite missing three games in the 2021 season due to injury, Oldroyd converted 42 of 43 extra point attempts and set a school record for consecutive field goals made with 16 between the start of the 2020 season and the Utah State game in 2021. He also holds the BYU record for consecutive PATs in a row with 72. 

The Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award committee will announce its 20 semifinalists on Nov. 3. From this list, a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, sports information directors, media members, former Groza finalists and current NFL kickers will select three finalists for the prestigious award.

The finalists will be announced on Nov. 22 and honored at a gala awards banquet at the West Palm Beach Marriott on Dec. 5. The winner of the Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award will be announced on Dec. 8 during the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.

The Lou Groza Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. The NCFAA encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football.