CHARLESTON, S.C. – Illinois State senior punter CJ Laros was named to the 2014 College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Punter Award Watch List, as announced by the CFPA Wednesday. The initial watch list includes 38 returning performers, vying for the top punter award in the Football Championship Subdivision.
"Congratulations to CJ Laros on earning a spot on this year's watch list," CFPA Executive Director Brad Smith said. "Laros will be one of the top punters to watch this season, after a strong 2013 season."
Laros was the lone punter for the Redbirds in 2014 and averaged 39.8 yards per punt on 70 attempts. The Austrailian import from Canberra placed 28 of those punt attempts inside the 20 yard line and elicited 15 fair catches. He had 10 punts over 50 yards, including a career-long 63 yarder at Missouri State when he averaged a season-best 49.1 yards on seven punts against the Bears to earn CFPA National Punter of the Week honors.
The goal of College Football Performance Awards is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferment in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams. Twenty-eight CFPA winners have been first-round NFL Draft selections.
CFPA is now in its seventh season of recognition, utilizing objective rankings of player and team performance from its data index since 2008. Its player and team performance index is broken down by offense, defense and special teams.
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