August 17, 2009 - The Watch List for the Fred Mitchell Award includes 18 Division II and III collegiate place-kickers that were nominated by their colleges for excellence on the football field and in the community.

The Award’s Selection Committee Chairman Chris Kearney said, “These place-kickers are a very impressive group on and off the football field. They admirably represent their schools, their football teams, their communities, their families and themselves.” The Watch List includes place-kickers from schools in 16 states, with three place-kickers playing in Ohio.

Fred Mitchell said, “The diversity of these fine young men is terrific and it is a pleasure to include them on the Watch List for this Award. Division II and III place-kickers seldom receive national recognition, and we are delighted to recognize them based on outstanding performance in the community and expectations going into the 2009 college football season.”

In alphabetical order, the 2009 Fred Mitchell Award Watch List is listed below.

ALEX BEARD
Quincy University (Illinois)

BRITT BLACKMON
Newberry College (South Carolina)

JACKSON DAMRON
California-Lutheran University

TOM FOOS
Defiance College (Ohio)

ANDREW FOOTE
Lewis & Clark College (Oregon)
Senior from Denver, CO…Northwest Conference Honorable Mention All-Conference in 2007….68 career points from 35 PAT’s and 11 FG’s….11 of 18 career FG’s including 44 yard career long….inducted into the Pamplin Society of Fellows which is the highest honor bestowed by Lewis & Clark College to undergraduate students for intelligence, leadership, integrity and physical fitness…Pioneer All-Academic First Team….Founder of the Koinonia Christian Fellowship….Department of Economics tutor….volunteered for TEAGLE Foundation Peer Effects Conference….planned fundraisers, outside speaker forums and other campus events for the Pamplin Society Community Outreach and Discussion Committees….Pamplin Society Teacher of the Year Selection Committee and Awards Ceremony volunteer

RUSSELL GLIADON
Saint John’s University (Minnesota)

JESSE HAWKINS
Heidelberg University (Ohio)

NICK HOPE
Wayne State College (Nebraska)

BROCK JOLLY
Southwest Baptist University (Missouri)

PETER NILSON
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (New York)

THOMAS PARROTT
Northern State University (South Dakota)

KEVIN QUACKENBUSH
Saint Joseph’s College (Indiana)

ELLIOT RAUSA
Coe College (Iowa)

TAYLOR RUSSOLINO
Millsaps College (Mississippi)

JEFF SCHEBLER
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

JOSH STRIPLING
LaGrange College (Georgia)

JONATHAN THOMPSON
Bluffton University (Ohio)

JUAN VELASCO
Texas A&M University-Commerce


About the Fred Mitchell Award
Starting with the 2009 college football season, the annual Fred Mitchell Outstanding Place-Kicker Award (also known as the Fred Mitchell Award, www.fredmitchellaward.com in development) will be provided to the nation’s top collegiate place-kicker among the approximately 150 Division II and 240 Division III football teams. The Award is named for Fred Mitchell, the record-setting place-kicker, Wittenberg University Athletic Hall of Famer, author, philanthropist and Chicago Tribune sports columnist. The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award will be chosen based on excellence on the football field and in the community. The Award’s Watch List is released in August, top performers will be recognized monthly during the college football season, and the winner (who is not required to be on the Watch List) will be announced in mid-December. The school of the Award winner will receive scholarship funds and the Fred Mitchell Award trophy will be presented on February 22, 2010 at the National Football Foundation Chicago Metro Chapter Awards Ceremony at Halas Hall. Further details about the Awards Ceremony are at www.nffchicagoawards.eventbrite.com.

A blue-ribbon Selection Committee (listed at www.fredmitchellaward.com) will evaluate place-kickers that are nominated by Division II and III schools. There are nine members of the Pro and/or College Football Hall of Fame on the Selection Committee including Tom Beck, George Blanda, Kevin Butler, Lou Holtz, Paul Hornung, Marv Levy, Steve McMichael, Don Pierson and Gale Sayers. Several former football players that are active in their communities are also on the Selection Committee including Carl Allegretti, Sean Gothier, Dan Jiggetts, Jeff Michalczyk, Mark Murphy, Rob Perry, Bob Thomas, Todd Wilkins, Gary Zauner and Rob Zvonar. There are eight former college or NFL place-kickers on the Selection Committee.