At college football’s big annual awards bash on Thursday, some things were business as usual. Great players claimed the Maxwell, Bednarik, Outland, and Biletnikoff awards, among others. That’s how it’s been done for years.
Michigan’s Garrett Moores celebrates winning Holder of the Year with an emotional speech
Garrett Moores brings home the prize some holders have dreamed about for an entire year.
But the most prestigious honor of the night, in my view, went to Michigan holder Garrett Moores.
That’s right. Moores is college football’s Holder of the Year. ESPN’s Chris Fowler announced it live from the sport’s hall of fame in Atlanta. There was no glitzy on-stage presentation, and Moores wasn’t in Atlanta, probably because nobody was going to pay to send a holder to Atlanta. (Disrespectful, in my opinion.)
The HOTY award came into existence one year ago, when Minnesota punter and holder Peter Mortell created the award and gave it to himself after helping the Gophers’ kicker to a perfect extra-point season and a 15-of-19 mark on field goals.
Moores did strong work this season. He successfully got a hold down after one shaky snap in the Michigan–Ohio State game, and he aided UM kicker Kenny Allen in going 16 of 20 on field goals, 52 of 52 on extra points. Moores beat out Memphis’ Evan Michael and Texas A&M’s Conner McQueen.
Too often, it’s remarked that “punters are people, too,” or “kickers are people, too.” Holders do not get nearly enough credit for being key pieces of the field goal-kicking machinery. Now long snappers need an award, and we’ll be all set.
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