Craig Named Fred Mitchell Award Finalist, Earns All-Region Honors

(Minneapolis, Minn.) - Dickinson College junior kicker Gordon Craig (Grove City, Pa./Grove City) was named to the D3football.com All-South Region Football team. Craig was a Second-team selection, also earning First-team All-Centennial Conference honors earlier this season.

He has also been named a finalist for the Fred Mitchell Outstanding Place-Kicker Award. The Award is named for Fred Mitchell, the record-setting place-kicker, Wittenberg University Athletic Hall of Famer, author, philanthropist and Chicago Tribune sports columnist. The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award will be chosen based on excellence on the football field and in the community.

The Award's Watch List is released in August, the winner will be announced in mid-December, the school of the Award winner will receive scholarship funds and the Fred Mitchell Award trophy will be presented by the Selection Committee on February 22, 2010 at the National Football Foundation Chicago Metro Chapter Awards Ceremony at Halas Hall.

A blue-ribbon Selection Committee will evaluate place-kickers that are nominated by Division II and III schools. There are nine members of the Pro and/or College Football Hall of Fame on the Selection Committee including Tom Beck, George Blanda, Kevin Butler, Lou Holtz, Paul Hornung, Marv Levy, Steve McMichael, Don Pierson and Gale Sayers.

Several former football players that are active in their communities are also on the Selection Committee including Carl Allegretti, Sean Gothier, Jeff Michalczyk, Mark Murphy, Rob Perry, Bob Thomas, Todd Wilkins and Rob Zvonar. There are eight former college or NFL place-kickers on the Selection Committee.

Craig hit 9-of-10 field-goals and converted a school record 37-of-39 extra-points this season. He tied a school mark, hitting four field-goals against Johns Hopkins.

Craig became the school's all-time leader in extra-points made with 94. He ranks second in career points by a kicker with 166, breaking the school single season mark with 64 points this fall.

The Red Devils posted an 8-2 overall record this season, tying for second in the Centennial Conference standings with a 6-2 mark.