WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Following a perfect 18-for-18 season on field goals, Stanford junior kicker Joshua Karty was named one of three finalists for the 2022 Lou Groza Award on Tuesday morning. The award is presented annually to the Collegiate Place-Kicker of the Year by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission and the Orange Bowl. Karty is joined by NC State's Christopher Dunn and Michigan's Jake Moody as the three finalists.
Karty, a native of Burlington, N.C., went 18-of-18 on the year on field goal attempts, with 13 of those makes from 40-or-more yards. Karty was the only qualified kicker nationally with no misses on the year, and the only kicker with 13 makes of 40+ yards this season.
Dating back to 1996, Karty is just the fourth kicker with at least 18 makes to have a perfect season, and just the third kicker with 10+ makes from 40-or-more yards without a miss.
He set the school record with a 61-yard field goal at Cal, and also had makes of 54 yards (vs. BYU) and 53 yards (at Oregon). No kicker nationally had more than three 50+-yard field goals with no misses. Karty's 61-yarder was five yards further than any other kicker this season.
Karty was named Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week four times in 2022 and a Lou Groza Award Star of the Week twice.
For his career, Karty is 51-for-52 on PATs and 28-for-34 on field goals. His five career misses have come from 49, 51, 54, 55 and 58 yards.
This year, fans can have their part in naming the winner of the Lou Groza Award. Fans can visit www.lougrozaaward.com and cast a vote for their favorite of the three finalists selected by the national panel of voters. The finalist who receives the greatest total of fan votes will be given one vote on the final ballot. One vote can make a difference in the final outcome, so fans are encouraged to participate.
This year's finalists were selected by a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers. These finalists will be honored at the 31st annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on December 5th in Palm Beach County. The same voting panel then selects the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 8th. For more information on the Lou Groza Award and the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, visit www.palmbeachsports.com.
Since the first Lou Groza Award was handed out in 1992, 28 finalists, including 16 winners, have gone on to appear in the NFL, earning 13 trips to the Pro Bowl and taking home 7 Super Bowls. That list includes 2022 NFL kickers Rodrigo Blankenship, Randy Bullock, Daniel Carlson, Mason Crosby, Jake Elliott, Ka'imi Fairbairn, Graham Gano, Matt Gay, Zane Gonzalez, Dustin Hopkins, Younghoe Koo, and Cairo Santos.
National College Football Awards Association
The Lou Groza Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. The NCFAA encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about our story.
About the Palm Beach County Sports Commission
The Palm Beach County Sports Commission is a private, not-for-profit organization contracted by Palm Beach County to promote and market the County as a sports and sports tourism destination. The Commission brings sporting events and activities to the County, enhances economic impact, stimulates bed tax revenues (primarily in the off-season), and maximizes utilization of County facilities. The Commission offers a full range of event service support, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and a local membership program that support its goals. Local, regional, national, and international marketing efforts are ongoing by the Commission with sports organizations and event owners. The Commission also produces sports-related programs for the residents of Palm Beach County including the annual Lou Groza Award program, the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame, the Kids Fitness Festival of the Palm Beaches, and the annual Holiday Basketball Classic of the Palm Beaches. For more information on the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, go to www.palmbeachsports.com.