Brad Craddock

Brad Craddock
Maryland Terrapins No. 15
Position Placekicker
Class Junior
Major Agricultural and resource economics: Agribusiness
Career history
College
High school Tabor Christian College
Personal information
Place of birth Adelaide, Australia
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg)
Career highlights and awards
  • FWAA first team All-American (2014)[2]
  • All-Big Ten first team (2014)[3]
  • Bakken-Anderson Award (2014)[4]

Brad Craddock is an Australian amateur American football placekicker for the Maryland Terrapins football team. Born in Adelaide, Australia, Craddock was initially recruited as a punter but was moved to the position of kicker, despite having never played in such a position competitively. As a result, his freshman year with the Terrapins was difficult. Craddock's kicking improved after being tutored by Pro Bowl kicker Matt Stover. Craddock would go on to make several records, including the most consecutive field goals in the history of the Terrapins and the Big Ten Conference.

Early life

Brad Craddock was born in Adelaide to Raymond and Leonie Craddock.[6] He attended Tabor Christian College. He began learning to punt at the age of 8 while playing Australian rules football. Craddock attended OzPunt, a developmental program for aspiring punters, placekickers, and holders in American football. He left the program with a 4.5/5 rating and as the top kicking prospect in Australia in 2012. Craddock enrolled in the University of Maryland soon after graduating the program.[7]

College career

At 6-foot (1.8 m) tall,[6] Craddock was initially supposed to play as a punter with the Maryland Terrapins. Instead, he was moved to the position of placekicker. As a result, he encountered many difficulties in his first year with the team.[8] He finished the season with only 10 of 16 field goals made,[9] posting a 62.5 success rate,[10] and 3 of 5 successful attempts at field goals beyond 40 yards (37 meters), including one from beyond 50 yards (46 meters).[9] He also handled kickoff duties for the Terrapins.[6]

Under the tutelage of former Pro Bowl kicker and Baltimore Ravens player Matt Stover, Craddock's stats improved greatly in his second season with the Terrapins.[11] In one of his career highlights, Craddock converted 3 field goals, including one from 50 yards (46 meters), help the Terrapins to a 37–0 win over West Virginia University.[12]

Craddock entered the Big Ten along with the Terrapins. In a game against Pennsylvania State University, Craddock kicked a 43-yard (39-meter) field goal with less than a minute to go for the Terrapins to take the lead.[13] The Terrapins won 20–19 and became bowl-eligible. After the kick, Maryland head coach Randy Edsall summarized the game with one quote, "Let the rivalry begin."[14] He finished the year having made 18 of 19 field goals for a 94.7 percent success rate. He posted a long of 57 yards (52 meters) and his lone miss came on his last kick of the season from 54 yards (49 meters) out.[15] Craddock earned national recognition as a 2nd team All American award, and received the Lou Groza Award, awarded annually to the United States's most effective collegiate placekicker.[16]

Records

In his three years of collegiate football, Craddock has accrued several records. As of 2014, he has scored the most consecutive field goals in the history of the Maryland Terrapins and the entire Big Ten Conference (24 field goals), as well as the longest field goal in Terrapins history (57 yards (52 meters) against Ohio State University).[17] Craddock also recorded the highest per-season conversion rate in the school's history (94.7%) as well as the highest career field goal conversion rate (81.7%).[15]

Personal life

Brad Craddock has two siblings: Alanah and Jacqui. He is currently majoring in agricultural and resource economics with a focus on agribusiness.[6]

Statistics

Through the end of the 2014 regular season, Craddock's statistics are as follows:[18]

NCAA Collegiate Career statistics
Maryland Terrapins
Season Games Games
Started		 Kicking Extra Points Total
FGM FGA PCT 1–19 20–29 30–39 40–49 50–59 Long XPM XPA PTS
2012 9 9 10 16 62.5 0–0 3–5 3–5 3–5 1–1 52 23 25 53
2013 12 12 21 25 84.0 0–0 8–8 8–9 4–5 1–3 50 37 38 100
2014 12 12 18 19 94.7 0–0 3–3 4–4 9–9 2–3 57 41 41 95

References

  1. ↑ Zenitz, M. (n.d.). Maryland kicker Brad Craddock named second-team AP All-American. Retrieved 16 December 2014, from http://touch.baltimoresun.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-82310479/
  2. ↑ Staff, E. (n.d.). FWAA All-Americans: Marcus Mariota, Big Ten lead first team. Retrieved 18 December 2014, from http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/24899392/fwaa-all-americans-marcus-mariota-big-ten-lead-first-team
  3. ↑ View 2014 All-Big Ten football teams & individual award winners (Big Ten Network View 2014 AllBig Ten football teams individual awardwinners Comments) http://btn.com/2014/12/01/view-2014-all-big-ten-teams-individual-award-winners/
  4. ↑ Terps Kicker Brad Craddock Wins Lou Groza Award (PressBox Baltimore) http://www.pressboxonline.com/2014/12/12/terps-kicker-brad-craddock-wins-lou-groza-award
  5. ↑ Maryland Terrapins Athletics – University of Maryland Terps Official Athletic Site (umterps.com) http://www.umterps.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=29700&ATCLID=209805156
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Brad Craddock". University of Maryland Athletics. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  7. ↑ Stevens, P. (19 September 2012). For Aussie Brad Craddock, kicking crosses two cultures. Retrieved 12 December 2014, from http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/sep/19/maryland-football-australian-kicker-brad-craddock-/?page=all
  8. ↑ Zenitz, Matt (26 December 2014). "Terps kicker Brad Craddock has had 'very special season'". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Brad Craddock Stats". ESPN Go. ESPN. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  10. ↑ Kirshner, Alex (11 December 2014). "Maryland kicker Brad Craddock wins Lou Groza Award". Testudo Times. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  11. ↑ Prewitt, A. (4 October 2013). With help from NFL kicker Matt Stover, Maryland’s Brad Craddock finds consistency. Retrieved 17 December 2014, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/terrapins-insider/wp/2013/10/04/with-help-from-nfl-kicker-matt-stover-marylands-brad-craddock-finds-consistency/
  12. ↑ Recap: Maryland 37, West Virginia 0. (21 September 2013). Retrieved 17 December 2014, from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-09-21/news/sns-rt-fbc-maryland-westvirginia-recap-20130921_1_brad-craddock-west-virginia-terrapins
  13. ↑ Brad Craddock's late field goal gives Terps their first-ever win at Penn State (baltimoresun.com) http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/terps/bal-brad-craddocks-field-goal-gives-terps-their-firstever-win-at-penn-state-20141101-story.html
  14. ↑ Maryland coach Randy Edsall: "Let the rivalry begin" after Terps' win (ydr.com) http://www.ydr.com/psu/ci_26846095/maryland-coach-randy-edsall-let-rivalry-begin-after
  15. 1 2 Stubbs, Roman (16 December 2014). "Maryland’s Brad Craddock named second-team All-American". The Washington Post. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  16. ↑ As Lou Groza Award finalist, Maryland’s Brad Craddock takes it all in. (n.d.). Retrieved 12 December 2014, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/terrapins-insider/wp/2014/12/11/as-lou-groza-award-finalist-marylands-brad-craddock-takes-it-all-in/
  17. ↑ Stubbs, Roman (9 October 2014). "Brad Craddock has turned painful miss into record success for Maryland football". The Washington Post. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  18. ↑ URL: http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/stats/_/id/534244/brad-craddock Website Title: ESPN

External links

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