Weber named nation’s top kicker

Arizona State University football student-athlete Thomas Weber was named the winner of the 2007 Lou Groza Award, given to the nation's top kicker. He won the award at the ESPN College Awards show in Orlando.

Weber is the first Sun Devil to ever win the Groza Award.

The recognition was followed by the announcement that Weber has been named part of the 118th All-American class second team honors by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. The rookie place kicker was only one of only two freshmen honored as All-Americans this year, joining Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree.

Weber, a redshirt freshman from Downey, Calif., set an ASU record by making the first 17 field goal attempts of his career. So far this season, Weber is 22-of-23 on field goals, including a 53-yarder and the game-winner against Washington State. He is the Pac-10's leading scorer, averaging 9.0 points per game, and is tied for the Pac-10 freshman record for field goals in a season with current UCLA kicker Kai Forbath.

Weber is the 12th different Sun Devil to earn All-America status from the Walter Camp Football Foundation and gives ASU an honoree for the second year in a row after TE Zach Miller was selected to the first team last year. Weber is the second Sun Devil place kicker honored as Luis Zendejas earned first team honors in 1983.

Overall, Weber has received numerous honors this season. Including:

• Second Team All-American by Rivals.com

• First Team Freshman All-American by CollegeFootballNews.com

• First Team Freshman All-American by Scout.com

• First Team Freshman All-American by The Sporting News

• First Team Freshman All-American by Rivals.com

• First Team All-Pac-10 Conference by Rivals.com

• The Sporting News Pac-10 All-Freshman Team

• First Team All-Pac-10 Conference

Next up for Weber and his Sun Devil teammates is a trip to the 2007 Pacific Life Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27 in San Diego, Calif., where ASU will face Texas.