

COLLEGE PARK, MD – OCTOBER 04: Kicker Brad Craddock #15 of the Maryland Terrapins celebrates his 57-yard field goal against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half at Byrd Stadium on October 4, 2014 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images)

Maryland kicker Brad Craddock seemed a little nervous as he walked to the stage to accept the Lou Groza Award on Thursday night at the College Football Awards in Orlando. And why wouldn’t he be? It was hard to imagine that Craddock would be recognized as the nation’s top place kicker two years ago, when he considered leaving the team after a grueling freshman season.

He was asked about the pivotal decision to return Thursday night by ESPN’s Rece Davis on the podium after winning the Groza Award over Florida State’s Roberto Aguayo and West Virginia’s Josh Lambert, and Craddock simply said he would’ve regretted it had he not came back to College Park.

“I think obviously being here for three years, you understand what all of these awards are and what they mean to get, how hard they are to get,” Craddock said. “Having my name called was just a blessing.”

Since returning in the fall of 2013, Craddock has undergone a remarkable transformation. He arrived at Maryland from Australia as a punter, committing over the phone without even visiting. He kicked without giving his form much thought as a freshman, and nearly cracked after his game-winning attempt against North Carolina State hit the post in November 2012. But he began working with former Baltimore Ravens kicker Matt Stover as a sophomore, and he progressed to the point that the Groza committee placed him on their watch list prior to his junior year.

He backed up that selection all year, making 18 of 19 field goals, and at one point had made 24 straight dating back to last season, which tied the Big Ten record. He also set a school record earlier this season with a 57-yard field goal against Ohio State, which was one of his 11 kicks made from 40 yards or more, and added a game-winning 43-yarder in the final minute against Penn State in November. He also had three field goals to help lift Maryland to a win over Michigan on November 22. Craddock’s conversion rate of 94.7 percent is a single-season school record. He’s made 81.7 percent of his kicks (49-60), which is also a school record.

“It was just focusing on the technique and the mind-game,” Craddock said of his growth.

Craddock was recognized as the Big Ten’s top kicker during the conference title game in Indianapolis last Saturday, which kicked off a week-long tour leading up to Thursday night’s award. He spent much of the week in Florida introducing himself as a finalist for the award, and tempered the attention with quiet sessions devoted to kicking and school work. There were no immediate plans to celebrate Thursday night, because he still had to finish an essay for school before returning to Maryland for practice on Friday.

“Obviously I’m stoked to get it,” Craddock said of the award. “I wasn’t really too nervous to get it.”