July 9, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Junior Elliott Fry has been named to the 2015 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award watch list, as announced by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission Thursday morning. There are 30 kickers featured on the list, and Fry is one of three from the SEC.

The Frisco, Texas native is no stranger to the Groza Award, as he made the semifinal cut last season and was also named its “Star of the Week” after connecting on all four field goal attempts against East Carolina.

Fry has grown into a standout kicker after walking on to the team in 2013, and has since earned a scholarship through his outstanding commitment on and off the field. After earning the job as a true freshman he has earned conference honors in each of his first two seasons in Columbia, including second-team All-SEC recognition in 2014.

Just two seasons in to his career with the Gamecocks, Fry already ranks second in school history in field goal accuracy (76.7 percent), third in PATs made, tied for third in PATs attempted and fourth in points scored. His current streak of 99-straight PATs made is already a school record and last season his 105 total points scored were the third-most in the program’s single-season history.

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.

The team will kick off the 2015 season in less than two months, with a game against North Carolina on Sept. 3 in Charlotte, N.C. that will also air on ESPN.