A.J. Reed led Duke in total points last season and has been selected for the Lou Groza preseason watch list. Reed prepped at Prattville High School. (Contributed)

By TIM GAYLE

Former Prattville High kicker A.J. Reed was selected to the preseason watch list for the Lou Groza Award, presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate kicker. 

A 2019 Groza semifinalist while at Duke, Reed is a graduate transfer at Arkansas, bringing a streak of 61 consecutive extra points with him. He is one of only six returning FBS kickers to make multiple field goals from 50 yards without missing a long-distance attempt and one of only 30 kickers on the preseason watch list.

The award is named for National Football League Hall of Fame kicker Lou “The Toe” Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships with Cleveland and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Although an All-Pro offensive lineman as well, Groza ushered in the notion that there should be a place on an NFL roster for a kicker.

Reed, the son of Lisa and Robert Reed, graduated with a degree in political science while minoring in economics. A three-year letterman for the Lions under Chad Anderson, he was selected to participate in the 10th annual Offense-Defense All-American Bowl as a Prattville senior and kicked a 32-yard game-winning field goal as time expired for the American squad. He was an honorable mention all-state selection as a junior and senior, converting 7 of 12 field goals and 32 of 33 extra points as a senior. 

As a true freshman at Duke in 2016, he started all 12 games and led the team in total points, hitting 3 of 10 field goals and 37 of 38 extra points. His 37 PAT points was the second highest ever for a Duke freshman. He started his current string of consecutive extra points by connecting on the final 27 attempts.

He did not see action in 2017 and was limited to kickoff duty as a sophomore in 2018, registering 34 kickoffs for 2,021 yards (an average of 59.44 yards per kick). 

He returned to a starting role at placekicker in 2019, recording a team-best 79 points on 15 of 18 field goals and 34 of 34 extra points. He was 10 of 10 on field goal attempts inside the 40-yard line and 2 of 2 on attempts of 50 yards or more. He hit nine consecutive field goals from Aug. 31 to Oct 26. In addition, he had 57 kickoffs for 3,182 yards (55.8) with 15 touchbacks.

Reed is one of two Alabama natives on the Groza Award preseason watch list, along with Fort Payne kicker Evan McPherson of Florida. Reed and McPherson are among five Southeastern Conference kickers on the watch list, joining Tennessee’s Brent Cimaglia, LSU’s Cade York and South Carolina’s Parker White.

Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Award will announce its 20 semifinalists on Nov. 5. From this list, a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists and current NFL kickers selects the top three finalists for the award on Nov. 24. That same group then selects the national winner, who will be announced on Dec. 10 during the College Football Awards Show.

The members of the National College Football Awards Association unveil their preseason watch lists over a 12-day period.