NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In his first collegiate season of competition, Vanderbilt sophomore kicker Brock Taylor has been named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the Orange Bowl.
The award is presented annually to the nation’s top place-kicker by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named for legendary Cleveland Browns kicker Lou Groza, who helped Cleveland to four NFL championships and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954.
Taylor is one of 20 kickers on the semifinal list and one of just five on the list competing in their freshman or sophomore seasons. The semifinalists will be voted on by a panel of FBS head coaches, sports information directors, media members and past Groza Award winners to choose three finalists, with the winner then being announced at The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN on Dec. 12.
Taylor has made nine straight field goals for the Commodores and stands 16-for-19 on the season. His 31-yard field goal in his only attempt at Auburn moved him into second place for field goals made in a season at Vanderbilt.
The Knoxville, Tennessee, native drilled a school-record 57-yard field goal at Missouri as time expired in the first half. On the season, he’s made five from 50-plus, the most in a career by a Commodore. The five makes from 50-plus are tied for second-most in FBS this season and are the most in the SEC.
Taylor has twice earned SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. The first was following Vandy’s win over No. 1 Alabama when he connected on attempts from 51 and 33 yards in win, while also putting five of his eight kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. The second came a week later at Kentucky when he made both attempts from 49 and 50 yards, sent two kickoffs for touchbacks, and made a touchdown-saving tackle on a kickoff return in the third quarter.
He is the first Vanderbilt player to earn SEC weekly awards in consecutive weeks since quarterback Eric Jones in 1987.
Taylor and the Commodores return to action Saturday at LSU. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. on SEC Network.
