Lou Groza Award Winner
Jul 8, 2002 | Football
December 12, 2001
On December 4, 2001, Tulane kicker Seth Marler, who hit 54 straight kicks during the 2001 season, was named the winner of the 2001 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-kicker Award at a banquet at the Sheraton West Palm Beach Hotel at CityPlace in West Palm Beach.
"I'm just real excited," Marler said. "Thinking about some of the guys that won it before, Sebastian Janikowski, Martin Gramatica, and even Lou Groza, who it is named for, to be among those names is a great honor. This is the biggest accomplishment in my life so far. I've had a great year. One of my goals this summer was to make it to the ceremony and just have fun. To win the award is just icing on the cake."
The awards banquet capped a week of activities for Marler and fellow finalists Travis Dorsch of Purdue and Damon Duval of Auburn. The trio participated in a youth clinic, visited children at a local hospital and attended functions with local business people and dignitaries. However, the banquet was not the end of the action for Marler. The Green Wave honor student and his family traveled to Orlando, Fla., for the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 7. Marler was again honored for his amazing season as Lee Corso, Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit were on hand as he was presented with the Groza Award live on national television.
Marler hit 15-of-16 field goals and 39-of-40 extra points during the season to record the second-best percentage in the country of kickers with 14 or more field goals.
"Obviously it is one of the biggest honors in Division I college football," said Tulane Head Coach Chris Scelfo, who attended the event in West Palm Beach. "It is fantastic exposure for Tulane University and for Seth. On the field, he is Mr. Automatic, off the field he is everything a student-athlete should be. With this award and Patrick Ramsey's Scholar-Athlete Award from the National Football Foundation, Tulane players have won two of the most prestigious awards in college football this year."
Marler received the award from Jackie and Jonathan Groza, widow and son of the famous kicker for whom the award is named. Former Miami Dolphin Dwight Stephenson was the guest speaker at the dinner.
The Lilburn, Ga., native was the second straight Conference USA player to take home the Lou Groza Award. Cincinnati's Jonathan Ruffin was the 2000 winner. Marler and the Green Wave will host Ruffin and his Bearcats on October 12; it will be the first time two Lou Groza Award winners have competed in the same game.
