Colorado University Athletics
Stefanou Named to Freshman All-American Team
December 11, 2017 | Football
BOULDER – Freshman Placekicker James Sefanou was named to ESPN's 2017 Freshman All-America team Monday. He joins junior CB Isaiah Oliver as another Buff to earn national postseason honors after Oliver was named a second-team All-American by SB Nation last week.
"It's a pretty big thing, but I just want to build on it really next year and years after that," said Stefanou. "It is an honor to be recognized. There is good competition out there as well, there are plenty of freshmen kickers out there that are great. I know I am 30, but it is the first time I've really played football so I'm pretty happy with it."
Stefanou totaled 86 points on the season, connecting on 17-of-22 field goal attempts and all 35 of his extra-point tries.
He started his freshman campaign off by connecting on 10 of his first 11 field goal tries, which was the third best start to a career at Colorado with one miss. Also, during the season he had a streak of nine consecutive field goal makes, tying the second-longest streak in school history.
Against Arizona State, he connected on a career-long 53-yard field goal try as well as 34-yarder and 28-yarder. The 53-yard field goal is the second-longest by a freshman in CU history, falling one yard short of teammate Davis Price's freshman-record 54-yard field goal in 2016. After this performance, he was named a Lou Groza Award Star of the Week.
He became the third Buff to be named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, honoring the nation's best placekicker, and joined Will Oliver (2013 semifinalist) and Mason Crosby, who was a semifinalist (2006) and the runner-up in 2005.
