University of Tennessee at Chattanooga specialist Nick Pollard was recently named to the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Punter Watch List. It is the second year in a row he has made the preseason list.
"Congratulations to Nick Pollard on earning a spot on the CFPA Watch List," said CFPA Executive Director Brad Smith.
"Pollard will be one of the top punters to watch this season."
Pollard has handled the kicking duties for the Mocs for the past three seasons and punted the last two. Last year, he averaged 40.7 yards-per-kick using an unorthodox, rugby method. His style results in a hard, rolling kick that is tough for opposing returners to handle.
This was most evident during the Wofford game when he set a school record with a 54.7 yard average on three punts. His career-long 78-yarder against the Terriers helped him earn Southern Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Earlier in the season, he pinned The Citadel inside its own six-yard line four consecutive times. Against Appalachian State, Pollard converted a fake punt with a 17-yard run and backed ASU inside its own 20 three times.
The goal of College Football Performance Awards is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferments in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams. Twenty-eight CFPA winners have been NFL Draft first round selections.
Junior Jacob Huesman (QB), Keon Williams (RB), Faysal Shafaat (TE), and senior Davis Tull (DE) are the four other Mocs who have also earned spots on the CFPA Watch Lists heading into 2014.
The Mocs kick off the 2014 season on the road at Central Michigan on Thursday, Aug. 28. Chattanooga’s first home game is set for Saturday, Sept. 6 against Jacksonville State. Season tickets are on sale now on GoMocs.com.