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Fordham's Patrick Murray Named 2012 Associated Press All-America
Dec. 12, 2012
2012 Associated Press NCAA FCS All-America Team
Bronx, N.Y. - Fordham University senior kicker Patrick Murray (Mahwah, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) added another award to his cache today as he was named a First Team 2012 Associated Press NCAA FCS All-American placekicker. It is the second straight year he has been honored by the Associated Press, earning Third Team honors as a punter last year. The award is the latest for Murray, who was named the 2012 recipient of the prestigious Fred Mitchell Award yesterday. Murray will receive his award on February 18, 2013 at the National Football Foundation Chicago Chapter Awards Ceremony. Murray has also been named a First Team All-American by The Sports Network, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and the Beyond Sports Network (BSN) this year. He was also named the BSN Special Teams Player the Year and received First Team All-Patriot League honors as both a placekicker and punter. The Fred Mitchell Award is presented to the Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III, NAIA or NJCAA place-kicker that excels on the football field and in the community. The Award is named for Fred Mitchell, the record-setting place-kicker, Wittenberg University Athletic Hall of Famer, author, philanthropist and Chicago Tribune sports columnist. The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award will be chosen based on excellence on the football field and in the community. Off the field, Murray has been active in community service projects with the football team which includes volunteering for a program where players read to elementary school children in the Bronx. He is also active with the Part of the Solution (POTS) program, working with teammates at local food shelters. Murray also serves as a volunteer assistant coach with the school's men's intramural soccer program and has volunteered for various food drives and toy drives at Fordham.
Murray dedicated the 2012 season to his friend, Vincent Crotty, who was killed in a tragic car accident prior to Murray's freshman year at Fordham. He had grown up and attended school with Crotty and the families became very close. He has helped raise awareness of Crotty's charity, The Vincent Crotty Foundation, which was formed as a way to keep the memory and spirit of Crotty alive. The foundation assists needy children and families as well as youth sports programs throughout the Suffern NY and surrounding areas "Whenever I was nervous or felt the pressure coming on this year I would grab my left wrist which I always taped and wrote Vinny's initials, VC, on and I would know he was there," said Murray. "It was such an honor to play for Fordham this year, and to have the successes that I had made it even better. There are many things in this world that are bigger than football. I didn't really comprehend that until Vinny passed away. I try and live every day how he would have, always having fun and always laughing. His smile and laugh were unlike any others, and I want to try and keep his memory alive. Vinny is and always will be my inspiration." Murray has also recently become involved with the Team Katie Foundation . Murray just completed the most successful season for a Fordham kicker in school history, leading all of the NCAA in field goals with 25 and leading the Patriot League and ranking second in the NCAA in punting average (46.0). He set a new Fordham and Patriot League record with 25 field goals, shattering the former mark of 18 set by Fordham's Matt Fordyce in 2002. The 25 three-pointers was just one shy of the NCAA FCS record of 26 set by set by Tony Zendejas from Nevada in 1982 and matched by Northern Iowa's Brian Mitchell in 1990. Murray connected on four field goals of over 50 yards this fall, the most 50-yarders of any NCAA Division I kicker. He booted a school-record 55-yarder at Cincinnati as well as connecting on a 52-yard field goal versus Lock Haven.
Over his career, Murray booted 38 field goals, sixth best all-time at Fordham. As a punter, Murray averaged a school-record 46.0 yards/kick, with 18 of his 52 kicks traveling over 50 yards, including a season-best 65-yarder, while 14 of his punts were downed inside the opponent's 20. He closes out his career with 186 punts for 7,985 yards, an average of 42.9 yards/punt, the second best career punting average in Fordham history. The Rams finished the 2012 season with a 6-5 record, a five-win improvement from the 2011 season, tying Fordham for the second best turnaround in the NCAA FCS this fall. |
