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MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois junior kicker Pat Smith (Quincy/Notre Dame) joined a list of 44 placekickers nationwide to earn a spot on the Fred Mitchell Award Watch List for the second consecutive year. The award recipient will be chosen based on excellence on the football field and in the community (www.fredmitchellaward.com), and will be announced in February.
This honor is named after Fred Mitchell, a record-setting placekicker, Wittenberg University Hall of Famer, author, philanthropist and Chicago Tribune sports columnist. The 44 kickers include student-athletes from more than 750 Division I FCS, Division II, Division III, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) institutions.
Smith was the starting kicker and in charge of kickoffs for the Leathernecks during all 11 games in 2011. The then-sophomore was second on the team with 30 points, converting 3-6 field goals as well as 21-23 extra points. He also averaged 63 yards on 35 kickoffs during the season.
Off the field, Smith has worked as a Relay for Life volunteer, Special Olympics volunteer, Rocky's Reach volunteer helping elementary school children during recess and reading, and Jump Rope for Heart volunteer.
According to the Award's selection committee chairman Chris Kearney, "These placekickers are terrific on the football field and off the field representing their schools, their football teams, their conferences, their communities, their families and themselves. We look forward to following their accomplishments during the next few months."
