Groza Misses Again

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 19:50:00 EST

I thought it would be exciting to begin my blog by discussing the merits of a college football kicker. Well, that doesn't sound so interesting after all. Anyway, I'm commited now so...

While Lou Groza rarely missed a kick in his playing days, whether at Ohio State (I refuse to place a "the" in front of any university's name) or with the Cleveland Browns, the voters given the responsibilty of electing the nation's best college kicker are rarely as on point with their selections. And this season is a perfect example. I mean, come on guys. If you must reward a kicker, get the right guy. And Alex Henery is the guy, and has been for a couple of seasons. Of course, the Nebraska senior has never been and never will be a Groza finalist. He's only the most accurate field goal kicker in FBS history, connecting on 89% of his attempts. And converting a stunning 260 of 269 total kicks (that's 97% of PATs and FGs). And the kid is at his best under pressure. He confirmed Nebraska's reservation to the Gator Bowl by drilling a school-record 57 yard field goal to steal a victory from Colorado in 2009. And he's 6 for 6 in his two Big 12 Championship appearances, knowing that he was the only hope for a putrid offense to score enough points to win (it didn't). He's the picture of consistency, making 21 of 22 kicks between 40 and 49 yards for his career. The guy's only miss this season was a blocked 51 yard attemp in a route of Missouri. Yawn, right? I know it's not the Heisman, but it is the only national trophy given to a kicker, and nobody deserves the Groza more than Henery. And if you don't find this intruiging enough, just watch that Boise State-Nevada clash again. Or just the last 15 minutes.

The Sports Blog : CBSSports.com Blogs

Groza Misses Again