Jan. 5, 2010

Kansas City, MO – Former University of South Carolina kicker Ryan Succop has been named the Mack Lee Hill Award winner, as voted on by the Kansas City Chiefs players, it was announced today.

The Mack Lee Hill Award is presented each year to the Chiefs rookie or first-year player who best exemplifies the spirit of the late Mack Lee Hill, who passed away during his second season with the Chiefs in 1965.

Succop, a 6-2, 218-pound rookie placekicker, made 86.21 percent of his field goals (25-of-29), tying for the best field goal percentage by a rookie since the AFL-NFL merger (min. 20 attempts). He established a Chiefs’ rookie record with 25 made field goals, surpassing the previous mark of 21, established by Hall of Fame kicker Jan Stenerud in 1967. Succop also nailed all 29 of his PATs to lead the team with 104 points, the second-highest point total ever accumulated by Kansas City rookie, and the highest point total by any NFL rookie in 2009. Succop hit all 17 of his field goal attempts from inside 40 yards in 2009.

As the 256th and final selection in the 2009 NFL Draft, Succop earned the title of “Mr. Irrelevant,” but more than proved his effectiveness. He connected on a career-long 53-yard field goal in his NFL debut at Baltimore, the longest kick by a Chiefs’ rookie since Stenerud hit from 54 yards out in 1967. He connected on a career-high four field goals in a win at Washington and made three field goals in a win at Oakland, including a 50-yard kick to give him a pair of field goals from 50 yards or more on the season, a figure topped only by Nick Lowery. The Hickory, N.C. native joined the Chiefs after a stellar collegiate career at the University of South Carolina, where he was a four-year letterwinner (2005-08).

Succop will receive his award at the 40th Annual 101 Banquet, which will be held on March 6 at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City.