Matt Ruffolo on Lou Groza Award Watch List
Kentucky “super senior” kicker Matt Ruffolo has been named to the 2021 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award preseason watch list, it was announced Wednesday by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award honors the nation’s top place-kicker in FBS.
Ruffolo had a sensational 2020 season, connecting on 12-of-14 field goal attempts, including a perfect 10-of-10 under 40 yards. He also made 22-of-23 PATs and tallied 58 total points for the season. He has made a field goal in eight consecutive games and drilled the final six attempts a year ago.
The Centerville, Ohio native came up huge in the Wildcats’ 23-21 victory over NC State in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, becoming the first UK player to make three field goals in a bowl game. He tied his career-long earlier in the season when he powered a 50-yard attempt through the uprights at Missouri. For his career, Ruffolo is 16-of-19 on field goal attempts and 40-of-43 on PATs.
Off the field, Ruffolo graduated in May with a degree in finance and is currently working on a master’s in business administration at UK’s Gatton College of Business and Economics.
While the Watch List highlights 30 of the best returning kickers in the country, the Groza Committee will be watching all FBS kickers throughout the season, and releasing a weekly “Stars of the Week” feature on www.lougrozaaward.com. All FBS kickers remain eligible to be selected as semifinalists.
Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award will announce its 20 semifinalists on Thursday, November 4th. From this list, a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers selects the top three finalists for the award, announced on Tuesday, November 23rd. That same group then selects the national winner, who will be announced on Thursday, December 9th during the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.
The 30th Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the Orange Bowl Committee, recognizes the three finalists during a celebration in Palm Beach County, culminating with a gala awards banquet at West Palm Beach’s Kravis Center for the Performing Arts on December 6th.
The Award is named for National Football League Hall of Fame kicker Lou “The Toe” 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. Although an All-Pro offensive lineman as well, Groza ushered in the notion that there should be a place on an NFL roster for a kicker.
For more information on the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award and to see the “Stars of the Week” throughout the season, please go to www.lougrozaaward.com. For even more updates on the best kicking performances throughout the season, follow @LouGrozaAward on Twitter.
Seven home games at Kroger Field highlight Kentucky’s 2021 football schedule. The Wildcats kick off the season on Sept. 4 against the ULM Warhawks, the first of three consecutive home games. Missouri arrives in Lexington on Sept. 11 for the first conference game of the year before Chattanooga wraps up the homestand on Sept. 18.
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