Lightly recruited kicker candidate for Lou Groza Award

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) _ When Ohio State linebacker A-J Hawk and kicker Mike Nugent were still at Centerville High School, Hawk couldn't understand why big-time colleges weren't more interested in

Thursday, November 25th 2004, 11:38 am

By: News On 6

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) _ When Ohio State linebacker A-J Hawk and kicker Mike Nugent were still at Centerville High School, Hawk couldn't understand why big-time colleges weren't more interested in Nugent.

Even Ohio State had been trying to lure Nugent to campus as a walk-on until coach Jim Tressel was hired in 2001. Tressel knew the team didn't have a proven kicker and offered Nugent a full ride just one month before signing day his senior year.

At Ohio State, Nugent has booted a school-best 68 career field goals and over the past three years connected on nearly 90 percent of this attempts.

Former O-S-U kicker Tom Skladany says Nugent has the strongest leg in college football, calling him a ``freak of nature.''

Nugent would like to cap his career by winning the Lou Groza Award, which will be presented to the nation's outstanding kicker on December seventh.