Nov. 2, 2001
Plam Beach Gardens, Fla. – Irish junior placekicker Nicholas Setta is one of 20 semifinalists for the 2001 Lou Groza Collegiate Placekicker Award. The three finalists for the award will be announced Monday, Nov. 12, with the winner being honored in a ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at the Sheraton West Palm Beach Hotel at CityPlace in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Setta is currently in the middle of a stellar season for the Irish as he has converted 23-of-24 placement kicks this season (14 PATs and nine field goals), including a perfect five of five on field goal attempts from 40 yards or more. Earlier this season, Setta tied his career high with a 47-yarder against Texas A&M. Before missing against Boston College last weekend, Setta had converted nine consecutive regular-season field goals.
Setta also has field goals in Notre Dame’s last nine regular-season games, passing Harry Oliver (1980) and Dave Reeve (1975-76) for the second-longest streak in school history. John Carney holds the record with field goals in 11 straight games during the 1986 season.
The native of Lockport, Ill., Setta has also made 46 consecutive extra points dating back to last season’s win over Stanford. It is the fourth-longest streak in Irish history.
The Lou Groza Award, now in its 10th year, is named for National Football League Hall-of-Fame kicker Lou Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships with Cleveland and was named the NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Nicknamed “The Toe,” Groza was one of the first people to truly make kicking an art form, and he helped usher in to football the idea that a player could be used exclusively for kicking.