Indiana Punter Haydon Whitehead Name Ray Guy Award Nominee for Third-Straight Year

IU Athletics Release

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana punter Haydon Whitehead is a Ray Guy Award candidate for the third-straight season, the Augusta Sports Council and the award announced on Wednesday. The Ray Guy Award identifies the nation's top FBS collegiate punter at The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN every year in December.

Whitehead has landed an FBS-high 36.1 percent (13-of-36) of his punts inside the 10-yard line in 2019. The fifth-year senior is averaging a career-high 41.9 yards with 17 inside the 20 (47.2 percent), 13 inside the 10 and three inside the 5, to go along with a career-best six 50-plus yarders, including a career-long 65-yarder.

He has dropped at least three punts inside the 20 in four-straight games, including a season-high four in the Northwestern win. Thirteen of Whitehead's last 17 punts (76.5) have been downed inside the 20, with eight of those inside the 10 (47.1) and three of those inside the 5 (17.7).

Only two of his 36 punts have resulted in a touchback, 17 have resulted in a fair catch (47.2) and just five have been returned (13.9).

Whitehead holds a 40.7 career average with 15 50-yarders in addition to 68 punts inside the 20-yard line (39.5), 34 inside the 10 (19.8) and 13 inside the 5 (7.5).

The candidates will be narrowed down to 10 semifinalists and that list will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 19. Following the announcement, a national voting body of FBS SIDs, media representatives and previous Ray Guy Award winners will vote for the three finalists who will be identified on Monday, Nov. 25. The voting body will then cast ballots to select the winner. The 2019 Ray Guy Award winner will be announced live on ESPN during The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 12.

About the Ray Guy Award
The Augusta Sports Council created the Ray Guy Award in 2000 to honor Thomson, Georgia native and College and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Ray Guy. Among the statistics used to identify the winner is net punting average, number of times punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned with particular emphasis placed on net punting average. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team's success.

About the Augusta Sports Council
The Augusta Sports Council (ASC) enriches the quality of life and economic well-being for the Augusta metropolitan area by supporting and attracting sporting activities. To learn more, visit www.augustasportscouncil.org.

About the National College Football Awards Association
The Ray Guy Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 22 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about our story.

The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a two-week period this month. Sixteen of the association's 23 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFA