The Top 5 Players of 2008: Kickers and Punters

The final installment of The Top 5 Players of 2008 will be the kickers and punters. The kickers and punter of college football are probably the most over looked team members, but at times can be the most vital. A place kicker can be the deciding factor in a tight game. A punter can be a valuable weapon in the field position battle. Here is a run down of both positions for the 2008 season:

Punters


Oklahoma State Punter Matt Fodge

1. Matt Fodge (Oklahoma State) - Matt Fodge had a super season for the Cowboys of Oklahoma State in 2008. The 6'1" - 195 lbs punter recorded 36 punts, a 42.9 yard average for 1,544 yards with his longest being 71 yards. Fodge received the 2008 Ray Guy Award for the top punter in the nation.
2. T.J. Conley (Idaho) - T.J. Conley was honored First-Team All-American by Walter Camp, ESPN, and Sporting News in 2008. The 6'3" - 220 lbs punter was also named First-Team All-WAC. Conley had 58 punts , averaging a nation best 47.4 yards per punt. He accumulated 2,751 yards with his longest being 74 yards.
3. Louie Sakoda (Utah) - Louie Sakoda was a Ray Guy finalists and consensus All-American in 2008. The 5'9" - 178 lbs Utes punter had 56 punts, a 42.1 yards per punt average, 2,357 yards with 81 yards being the longest.
4. Kevin Huber (Cincinnati) - Kevin Huber displayed a mighty foot for the Bearcats in 2008. Huber was honored as an AP All-American and named Big East Special Teams Player of the Week on October 13th. The 6'1" - 220 lbs punter had 60 punts with a 45.0 yards per punt average, and 2,697 yards.
5. Aaron Perez (UCLA) - Aaron Perez, 6'4" - 232 lbs, rounds out the top 5 punters for 2008. The Bruins punter posted 79 punts, a 45.2 yards per punt average, and a 67 yarder as the longest of the season.

Kickers


Florida State Kicker Graham Gano

1. Graham Gano (Florida State) - Graham Gano had a heck of a 2008 season for the Florida State Seminoles. The 6'1" - 197 lbs kicker posted 24 field goals made with 26 attempted for a 92.3 % ratio. He also made 33 out of 34 extra points for a total of 105 points. Gano received the 2008 Lou Groza Award for the top kicker in the nation.
2. Jeff Wolfert (Missouri) - Jeff Wolfert, 6'2" - 185 lbs, was the Tigers' point-producing foot in 2008. Wolfert made 18 out of 20 field goal attempts for a 90% ratio. He was perfect on extra point attempts, going 45 for 45 tallying 99 total points.
3. Pat McAfee(West Virginia) - Pat McAfee was named the 2008 Scott Shirley Special Teams Player of the Year and 2008 Second-Team All-American. The 5'11" - 228 lbs senior made 17 out of 20 field goal attempts for a 85% ratio. He was perfect on extra point tries going 36 for 36.
4. Colt David (LSU) - Colt David had a busy year kicking for the Tigers in 2008. The 5'10" - 173 lbs kicker made 16 out of 21 field goals for a 76.2% ratio. David went 43 for 44 on extra points and collected 91 points.
5. Sam Swank (Wake Forest) - Sam Swank had a very disappointing year for the Demon Deacons in 2008. Swank was plagued by an injury for the majority of the season. The 6'2" - 201 lbs senior made only 11 field goals and 18 extra points for 51 total points. Far off his usual ability. He is still one of the greatest kickers in 2008.

That's the top 5 kickers and punters of the 2008 season. I really enjoyed assembling The Top 5 Players of 2008, and I hope that you enjoy reading it. Not everyone will agree on some of the players I have put on my lists, but it is just my opinion. And we know everyone has one, right?

Stay tuned as I will be commenting soon on the players, coaches, and teams to watch for in the upcoming 2009 season.