Connor Culp picked up some nice hardware from the Big Ten on Thursday morning.Ìý
The Nebraska kicker earned the Big Ten's Bakken-Andersen Kicker of the Year honors. League coaches and media also voted him to the first-team All-Big Ten list.
Thursday marked the latest step in what has already been a productive first year in Lincoln for Culp, a walk-on graduate transfer who spent the first four years of his career at LSU.Ìý
. is your B1G KICKER of the year!
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFBNation)
The Arizona native has made 13 of 15 field goals this year and saw a streak of nine straight successful kicks come to an end when he missed a 32-yarder in a loss Saturday to Minnesota.
Culp has also made all of his extra points and has been solid in kickoff duty, even without the kind of booming leg that can regularly send the ball through the end zone.Ìý
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Culp has been asked to handle mostly shorter kicks this fall, but he drilled a 48-yarder against Purdue as part of a 3-for-3 outing that showed he is capable of connecting from longer range.Ìý
“It's big,†Nebraska coach Scott Frost said last week of Culp’s addition. “We haven't been very good at that spot the first couple years here. He certainly gives us a guy that we can count on. I get less nervous when I send the field-goal unit out there.
“We start thinking about kicking a field goal from farther out because of his range, so it gives us a lot more confidence and glad that he's a part of what we're doing.â€
Culp opted not to be recognized on Senior Day last week, an indication that he may be planning on returning to Nebraska in 2021 to use the extra year of eligibility that the NCAA has made available for every player.Ìý
Even before Thursday, of course, Nebraska would have been very happy to have him back.Ìý
Culp is the second kicker to win the league's annual award and the first to do it since Brett Maher won it back-to-back in 2011 and 2012. It is also the first time an NU player has won any of the conference's player of the year awards since Sam Fultz was named punter of the year in 2015.Ìý
In addition to Culp's award, senior inside linebacker Collin Miller was named as Nebraska's representative for the Big Ten's Sportsmanship Award.
Iowa's Tory Taylor was named the Big Ten punter of the year and Rutgers' Aron Cruickshank was named the league's return specialist of the year.
Indiana's Tom Allen was named Big Ten coach of the year.
Big Ten specialist awards
Coaches:ÌýFirst team—K Connor Culp, Nebraska; P Tory Taylor, Iowa; RS Aron Cruickshank, Rutgers; Second team—K Charles Campbell, Indiana; P Drue Chrisman, Ohio State; RS Charlie Jones, Iowa; Third team—K Keith Duncan, Iowa; P Adam Korsak, Rutgers; RS Giles Jackson, Michigan.
Media: First team—K Culp, Nebraska; P Taylor, Iowa; RS Cruickshank, Rutgers; Second team—K Campbell, Indiana; P Korsak, Rutgers; RS Jackson, Michigan; Third team—K Duncan, Iowa; P Blake Hayes, Illinois; RS Jones, Iowa.