Colorado University Athletics
Photo by: Cliff Grassmick
Stefanou Named Semifinalist for Lou Groza Award
November 02, 2017 | Football
Freshman becomes just the third Buff to be named a semifinalist for award that honors the nation’s best placekicker
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – University of Colorado freshman placekicker James Stefanou is one of 20 semifinalists for the 2017 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award that is presented by the Orange Bowl, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced Thursday morning.
Stefanou becomes the third Buff to be a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, joining Will Oliver (one of 20 semifinalists in 2013) and Mason Crosby. Crosby was the runner-up in 2005 and one of 20 semifinalists in 2006.
"Really do the best that I could, simple as that," Stefanou said was his goal coming into his first season with the Buffs. "Just to learn the operation, learn how to kick with the rush, kick with a snap and a hold at a high level and do the best that I could.
"J.T. (Bale, CU's snapper) and T.J. (Patterson, the holder) have done a great job and I'm really proud of our whole operation."
He and UT San Antonio's Jared Sackett, who is 12-of-13 on field goal tries with a long of 44, are the only two freshmen to make the list.
Having never played in a football game prior to arriving at Colorado, Stefanou, a former 10-year professional soccer player in Australia, made 10 of his first 11 field goal tries for the Buffs. That was the third best start to a career in Colorado history with just one miss (.909 percentage). During that start he made nine tries in a row and that tied for the second-longest streak of consecutive made field goals in school history. His streak of consecutive makes is tied for the fourth longest among the 20 semifinalists (two made 10 straight and Utah's Matt Gay had the longest at 14).
That prior soccer experience helped set the stage for his success this year in a brand new sport.
"Mentally it helped me, I knew what I had to do when I came here and that was to work hard to achieve what I wanted to achieve and be the best I could for the team," Stefanou said.
He is 13-of-15 on field goal attempts overall this year with a long of 49 yards and a perfect 28-for-28 on extra points. His 86.7 field goal percentage ranks seventh in the FBS for any kicker who has 15 or attempts and also ranks second in the Pac-12 behind Stanford's Jet Toner, also a semifinalist, who is 15-of-17 (88.2)
The CU single-season record for field goal accuracy (minimum of 12 tries) is 85.7, set by Jeremy Aldrich in 1997 when he went 12-for-14. For 15 and 20 or more tires, it is 82.6 percent by Mason Crosby in 2004 (19-of-23).
Stefanou has three games where he went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts. He is one of just six among the semifinalists who have made three or more field goals in three or more games this season.
All of the success this fall has been a nice reward for the 30-year-old; Stefanou is the second oldest player in college football (oldest is Western Michigan punter Derrick Mitchell by about three months).
"It was tough, it wasn't easy," Stefanou said of his transition from leaving Australia to come to America to play football. "Leaving home, leaving friends, leaving family and coming and doing something that is your dream is a little bit easier because you have a reason for coming and doing something, but it is also tough transitioning."
Stefanou has always had his mind set on becoming a professional athlete. He got a good taste of that in his soccer days in Australia, but would like to become a professional kicker in the National Football League.
"The dream was always to play professional sports my whole life, ever since I could walk. The good thing about college football or college sports is that it is as close as you will get to anything, even if you don't turn pro, then you have pretty much lived it here. Still, that goal I think is to go pro and I'll do everything I can to get there."
Stefanou has been impressed with the atmosphere in college football compared to what he experienced as a professional soccer player in Australia.
"It eclipses it, definitely," he said. "I mean I did play for the Aussie team, under 19's, and that was at a lower scale, it is not like a senior team, but the way the community here and the way Americans get behind college sports is fantastic. There is nothing like it around the world, it is fantastic."
Semifinalists will be voted on by a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers to select the three finalists. These finalists will be announced on Nov. 21 and honored at the 26th annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on Dec. 4 in Palm Beach County. The same panel then selects the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Thursday, Dec. 7.
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.
Since the first Lou Groza Award was handed out in 1992, 25 finalists, including 14 winners, have gone on to appear in the NFL, earning nine trips to the Pro Bowl and taking home five Super Bowls. That list includes 2017 NFL kickers Dan Bailey, Randy Bullock, CU's own Mason Crosby, Jake Elliott, Ka'imi Fairbairn, Kai Forbath, Graham Gano, Zane Gonzalez, Dustin Hopkins, Younghoe Koo, Mike Nugent, Cairo Santos, Caleb Sturgis, and Blair Walsh.
Stefanou becomes the third Buff to be a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, joining Will Oliver (one of 20 semifinalists in 2013) and Mason Crosby. Crosby was the runner-up in 2005 and one of 20 semifinalists in 2006.
"Really do the best that I could, simple as that," Stefanou said was his goal coming into his first season with the Buffs. "Just to learn the operation, learn how to kick with the rush, kick with a snap and a hold at a high level and do the best that I could.
"J.T. (Bale, CU's snapper) and T.J. (Patterson, the holder) have done a great job and I'm really proud of our whole operation."
He and UT San Antonio's Jared Sackett, who is 12-of-13 on field goal tries with a long of 44, are the only two freshmen to make the list.
Having never played in a football game prior to arriving at Colorado, Stefanou, a former 10-year professional soccer player in Australia, made 10 of his first 11 field goal tries for the Buffs. That was the third best start to a career in Colorado history with just one miss (.909 percentage). During that start he made nine tries in a row and that tied for the second-longest streak of consecutive made field goals in school history. His streak of consecutive makes is tied for the fourth longest among the 20 semifinalists (two made 10 straight and Utah's Matt Gay had the longest at 14).
That prior soccer experience helped set the stage for his success this year in a brand new sport.
"Mentally it helped me, I knew what I had to do when I came here and that was to work hard to achieve what I wanted to achieve and be the best I could for the team," Stefanou said.
He is 13-of-15 on field goal attempts overall this year with a long of 49 yards and a perfect 28-for-28 on extra points. His 86.7 field goal percentage ranks seventh in the FBS for any kicker who has 15 or attempts and also ranks second in the Pac-12 behind Stanford's Jet Toner, also a semifinalist, who is 15-of-17 (88.2)
The CU single-season record for field goal accuracy (minimum of 12 tries) is 85.7, set by Jeremy Aldrich in 1997 when he went 12-for-14. For 15 and 20 or more tires, it is 82.6 percent by Mason Crosby in 2004 (19-of-23).
Stefanou has three games where he went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts. He is one of just six among the semifinalists who have made three or more field goals in three or more games this season.
All of the success this fall has been a nice reward for the 30-year-old; Stefanou is the second oldest player in college football (oldest is Western Michigan punter Derrick Mitchell by about three months).
"It was tough, it wasn't easy," Stefanou said of his transition from leaving Australia to come to America to play football. "Leaving home, leaving friends, leaving family and coming and doing something that is your dream is a little bit easier because you have a reason for coming and doing something, but it is also tough transitioning."
Stefanou has always had his mind set on becoming a professional athlete. He got a good taste of that in his soccer days in Australia, but would like to become a professional kicker in the National Football League.
"The dream was always to play professional sports my whole life, ever since I could walk. The good thing about college football or college sports is that it is as close as you will get to anything, even if you don't turn pro, then you have pretty much lived it here. Still, that goal I think is to go pro and I'll do everything I can to get there."
Stefanou has been impressed with the atmosphere in college football compared to what he experienced as a professional soccer player in Australia.
"It eclipses it, definitely," he said. "I mean I did play for the Aussie team, under 19's, and that was at a lower scale, it is not like a senior team, but the way the community here and the way Americans get behind college sports is fantastic. There is nothing like it around the world, it is fantastic."
Semifinalists will be voted on by a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers to select the three finalists. These finalists will be announced on Nov. 21 and honored at the 26th annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on Dec. 4 in Palm Beach County. The same panel then selects the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Thursday, Dec. 7.
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.
Since the first Lou Groza Award was handed out in 1992, 25 finalists, including 14 winners, have gone on to appear in the NFL, earning nine trips to the Pro Bowl and taking home five Super Bowls. That list includes 2017 NFL kickers Dan Bailey, Randy Bullock, CU's own Mason Crosby, Jake Elliott, Ka'imi Fairbairn, Kai Forbath, Graham Gano, Zane Gonzalez, Dustin Hopkins, Younghoe Koo, Mike Nugent, Cairo Santos, Caleb Sturgis, and Blair Walsh.
Players Mentioned
PK
/ FootballMark Johnson & Gary Barnett recap the game at WVU | The Buffalo Stampede: Colorado Football
Saturday, November 08
Colorado Football Postgame Press Conference
Saturday, November 08
Colorado Football Weekly Press Conference
Tuesday, November 04
Colorado Football Post Game Press Conference
Sunday, November 02