IWU’s Kelley named to kicker watch list

Posted on July 30, 2015

By WJBC Staff

BLOOMINGTON – Illinois Wesleyan senior Michael Kelley is one of 41 placekickers from 26 states on the “Watch List” for the 2015 Fred Mitchell Outstanding Placekicker Award for college football.

The 41 nominations for the seventh annual Fred Mitchell Award came from 12 Division III schools, 12 Football Championship Subdivision schools, 11 from Division II, five from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and one from a National Junior College Athletic Association school.

Kelley was second on the IWU team last season with 41 points and connected on 27 of 28 extra point kicks. He heads into his senior season ranked No. 3 in IWU career in PAT kicks made and field goals made and is tied for No. 8 with 158 career points scored.

The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award will be chosen based on excellence on the football field and in the community. The winner (who is not required to be on the Watch List) is announced in mid-December. The school of the Award winner receives scholarship funds and the Fred Mitchell Award trophy will be presented in February at the National Football Foundation Chicago Metro Chapter Awards Ceremony at Halas Hall.

“These placekickers are impressive on the football field and off the field representing their schools, their football teams, their conferences, their communities, their families and themselves,” said Chris Kearney, the Award’s selection committee chairman. “We look forward to following their accomplishments during the next few months. Of the 41 kickers, 25 led their team in scoring last season and 13 finished second on their team in scoring so there is a lot of scoring power returning this season.”

The Award is named for Mitchell, a Chicago Tribune sports columnist, who was a record-setting collegiate placekicker at Wittenberg University and a member of the school’s athletic Hall of Famer. “It is a pleasure to include these fine young men on the Watch List for this Award,” said Mitchell. “We are delighted to recognize them based on outstanding performance in the community and expectations going into the 2015 college football season.”

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