Ever reliable IU kicker Charles Campbell was honored with preseason recognition on Wednesday.
After a highly effective 2020 campaign, Campbell was named to the Lou Groza Award watch list for the 2021 season.
Campbell connected on 10-of-11 field goals (90.9 percent) and all 25 extra-point attempts during Indiana’s eight-game 2020 season. He made two field goals of 50 yards or more at the Outback Bowl in January. The Tennessee native earned second team All-Big Ten honors in 2020.
Campbell has made 12-of-13 field goals for his IU career and all 26 of his extra-point attempts.
Here is a complete summary of IU’s preseason recognition thus far:
- Dodd Trophy – Tom Allen
- Maxwell Award – Ty Fryfogle, Michael Penix Jr.
- Bednarik Award – Micah McFadden, Tiawan Mullen
- Davey O’Brien Award – Michael Penix Jr.
- Doak Walker Award – Stephen Carr
- B1G Preseason Honors – Michael Penix Jr.
- Biletnikoff Award – Ty Fryfogle
- John Mackey Award – Peyton Hendershot
- Jim Thorpe Award – Tiawan Mullen
- Butkus Award – Micah McFadden
- Outland Trophy – Matthew Bedford
- Bronko Nagurski Award – Micah McFadden, Tiawan Mullen
- Lou Groza Award – Charles Campbell
The full release on Campbell from IU Athletics follows.
CAMPBELL NAMED TO LOU GROZA AWARD WATCH LIST
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana redshirt junior kicker Charles Campbell is one of 30 players on the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Watch List, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced on Wednesday morning.
Campbell earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from Phil Steele in 2020 and was named IU’s Most Outstanding Specialist. He carded Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors and was a Groza Star of the Week following his three field goal performance in the Rutgers win.
The Jackson, Tenn., native connected on 10-of-11 field goals (90.9 percent) and all 25 extra-point attempts. Campbell led the conference in field goal percentage (T-9th nationally), finished third in field goals made and scoring per game among kickers (6.9), tied for third in field goals made per game (1.3, T-28th), finished fourth in PATs made, and tied for sixth in scoring per game among all players.
He made all three of his attempts from 50-plus yards to become the second Hoosier to record three 50-yarders in one season (Pete Stoyanovich, 1988). Campbell is one of four Indiana kickers with three 50-yarders in his career (Stoyanovich, 6; Frank Stavroff, 3; Griffin Oakes, 3).
An Academic All-Big Ten selection, he became the second Hoosier (Chris Gartner at Kentucky – Sept. 30, 1972) with a pair of 50-yarders in a single game with makes from 50 and 53 yards in the Outback Bowl vs. Ole Miss. The 53-yarder set an IU and Outback Bowl record and shares third in school history.
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 Dec. 6.
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.
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