Story courtesy of the Augusta Sports Council
Photo courtesy of LSU Athletics
AUGUSTA, Ga. - The Augusta Sports Council has announced the preseason watch list for the 2012 Ray Guy Award, which honors the nation’s top collegiate punter.
The 25 candidates on the list incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) punters. Returning Ray Guy Award semifinalists from 2011 include Ian Campbell (UTEP), Steven Clark (Auburn), Bobby Cowan (Idaho), Richie Leone (Houston), Pat O’Donnell (Cincinnati), Jackson Rice (Oregon), Brian Schmiedebusch (Bowling Green) and Brad Wing (LSU), as well as 2011 Ray Guy Award winner Ryan Allen of Louisiana Tech.
The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens for nominations in September. The complete list of candidates will be released on October 26. In early November, the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semi-finalists, who will be announced on November 9. A national body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, coaches, media representatives, and previous Ray Guy Award winners will then vote for the top three finalists, to be announced on November 19. After the finalists are named, the voting body will cast ballots again to select the nation’s top punter. The winner will be announced live during The Home Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN on Thursday, December 6.
2012 Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List
Dylan Breeding (Jr.), Arkansas
Steven Clark (Jr.), Auburn
Brian Schmiedebusch (Jr.), Bowling Green
Riley Stephenson (Sr.), BYU
Pat O’Donnell (Jr.), Cincinnati
Darragh O’Neill (So.), Colorado
Pete Kontodiakos (Sr.), Colorado State
Richie Leone (Jr.), Houston
Bobby Cowan (Sr.), Idaho
Kirby Van Der Kamp (So.), Iowa State
Ron Doherty (Jr.), Kansas
Ryan Allen (Sr.), Louisiana Tech
Brad Wing (So.), LSU
Dalton Botts (So.), Miami (FL)
Brett Maher (Sr.), Nebraska
Will Atterberry (Sr.), North Texas
Quinn Sharp (Sr.), Oklahoma State
Tyler Campbell (Jr.), Ole Miss
Jackson Rice (Sr.), Oregon
Harrison Waid (So.), San Jose State
Jeff Locke (Sr.), UCLA
Sean Sellwood (Sr.), Utah
Tyler Bennett (Sr.), Utah State
Ian Campbell (Sr.), UTEP
Richard Kent (Sr.), Vanderbilt
Ray Guy Award
The Augusta Sports Council created the Ray Guy Award in 2000 to honor Thomson, Georgia native and College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Ray Guy. The Ray Guy Award winner is determined by a national voting body of sports writers, college coaches, sports information directors, and past Ray Guy Award winners. Among the statistics used to identify the winner is net punting average, number of times a punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average returned yardage, and percentage of punts not returned. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline, and have a positive impact on the team’s success.
Augusta Sports Council
The Augusta Sports Council (ASC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to marketing the Augusta area as a destination for amateur sporting events. The ASC attracts, creates and supports dozens of sporting events and activities each year, generating a positive economic impact and enhancing the quality of life for residents of the greater Augusta community. To learn more, visit AugustaSportsCouncil.org.