Fields Named Ray Guy Award Finalist
11/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 24, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State sophomore Brandon Fields, who leads the NCAA in punting with his 48.3-yard average, has been named one of three finalists for the Ray Guy Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top punter by the Greater Augusta (Ga.) Sports Council. The other finalists include Baylor's Daniel Sepulveda and UCLA's Chris Kluwe. The winner will be announced Dec. 9 on ESPN's College Football Awards Show, televised live from Orlando, Fla., at 7 p.m. EST.
Fields, a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the league's media panel, has hit 22 punts 50 or more yards and had 13 kicks downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line. The Toledo, Ohio, native earned Midseason All-America honors from SI.com and Collegefootballnews.com.
The 6-6, 234-pound Fields averaged 51.0 yards on four punts vs. Wisconsin, including a 49-yarder that went out of bounds at the Badger 4 late in the third quarter. Fields averaged 54.0 yards on three punts vs. Ohio State, including a 62-yarder in the third quarter that was downed at the OSU 1-yard line. He averaged 55.7 yards on three punts vs. Illinois, including two kicks downed inside the Illini 20. Fields averaged 53.0 yards on four punts vs. Indiana, including a season-long 65-yarder, with two kicks downed inside the Hoosier 20. He averaged 55.3 yards on six punts vs. Central Michigan, including a 62-yarder.
His career 47.2-yard punting average ranks No. 1 on MSU's and the Big Ten's all-time lists.
"This is a great honor for Brandon Fields," Spartan special teams coach Jim McElwain said. "Brandon has all the tools to be a great punter, including a real strong leg. He gives us an opportunity to create field position because of the way he can hit the ball."
"I'm thrilled to be named a finalist for this award," Fields said. "Ray Guy is my idol because he's the best punter in the history of the game. I'm excited about being in the running for this award, and I'm looking forward to attending ESPN's College Football Awards Show in Orlando."
 Former Southern Miss All-American Ray Guy led the nation in punting with his 46.2-yard average in 1972.  | |
The award is named in honor of former Southern Mississippi All-American Ray Guy, who led the nation in punting with his 46.2-yard average in 1972. Guy, who averaged 44.7 yards on 200 punts as a three-year starter (1970-72), became the first Southern Miss player to have his jersey number (No. 44) retired. On Dec. 7, 2004, he will become the first punter inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame at the National Football Foundation's 47th annual banquet in New York City.
A first-round draft pick by the Oakland Raiders in 1973, Guy went on to play 14 years in the National Football League (1973-86), making seven Pro Bowl appearances.
Fields has a chance to become the fourth Big Ten punter in five years to take home the hardware. Previous Ray Guy Award winners include: Wisconsin's Kevin Stemke (2000), Purdue's Travis Dorsch (2001), Colorado's Mark Mariscal (2002) and Ohio State's B.J. Sander (2003).
