Gator Country

Florida senior kicker Caleb Sturgis has connected on 23 of 27 field goal attempts this season. / Gator Country photo by Curtiss Bryant

Florida senior kicker Caleb Sturgis found out a few weeks ago that he would not be invited to the Senior Bowl for this year’s game.

But on Tuesday, GatorCountry.com learned that the 5-foot-11, 184-pound Sturgis has accepted an invitation to compete in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 13, 2013.

“Caleb Sturgis has accepted an invitation to play in our game,” said Harold Richardson, executive director of the East-West Shrine Game. “We have received his paperwork and everything for the game.”

While many seniors want to participate in the Senior Bowl, Sturgis playing in the East-West game could be a good thing.

“Last year, all four of our kickers are playing in the NFL this year,” Richardson said. “St. Louis’ kicker [Greg Zuerlein] hit the game winner last week against San Francisco was in the game last year for us.”

Sturgis is a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, which will be given to the nation’s top kicker on Tuesday night.

On the year, Sturgis has hit 23 of 27 field goals, including three from at least 50 yards and a long of 51 yards.

Sturgis is also Florida’s all-time leader with 69 field goals made in his career. He surpassed Jeff Chandler’s previous school record with three made field goals in the Gators’ 37-26 win at Florida State on Nov. 24.

About the author

Andrew Spivey

Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.

More Football | RSS