July 11, 2011
NORFOLK, Va. -- Rising sophomore Colby Goodwyn (Hampton, Va.) was named to the Kick Returners Watch List by the College Football Performance Awards.
The purpose of the College Football Performance Awards is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferments in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams.
Goodwyn made 23 kick returns for a total of 686 yards as a true freshman, averaging 29.8 yards per return to rank fourth among all FCS kick returners. He set the Division I record (FBS or FCS) for kickoff return yardage in a game with 333 yards in his nine returns against #14/16 Cal Poly. The old mark was 326 by Eastern Washington's Bashir Livingston on Oct. 31, 1998, while the FBS record is 319 by Iowa State's Leonard Johnson set on Nov. 1, 2008.
The Hampton Road product had an 89-yard kickoff return against the nationally-ranked Mustangs as the longest return by a Monarch to-date. Later in the same game, Godwyn would have a 79-yard kick return for the third-longest kick return in the brief history of ODU football.
In addition to his individual NCAA record, Goodwyn helped Old Dominion set the record for most kickoff return yardage by a team (365 yards on 11 returns).
Goodwyn is the seventh Monarch to be named to a College Football Performance Award Watch List. Thomas DeMarco was named to the quarterbacks watch list in mid-May, while Prentice Gill was named to the wide receivers watch list, Ronnie Cameron was added to the defensive tackle watch list, Craig Wilkins listed on the linebackers watch list, and Jarod Brown placed on the placekickers list in the month of June. Additionally, Jonathan Plisco earned a nod to the punter watch list earlier this month.
As the 2011 season approaches, College Football Performance Awards will be releasing a preseason watch list each week from now until pre-season. For more information on the College Football Performance Awards, click here.