Dec. 5, 2007
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico is pleased to announce that senior kicker John Sullivan has been invited to The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards show, which will air live on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 6, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. MT. Sullivan is the first New Mexico player invited the national awards show since Brian Urlacher in 1999. Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit will host the show, which will originate from from the Atlantic Dance Hall on Disney’s Boardwalk at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
A recent first team all-Mountain West Conference honoree, Sullivan leads the nation averaging 2.36 field goals per game and has set school and conference records with 26 field goals this year (11 games). The fifth-year senior from Tehachapi, Calif. is 9-9 from 40-49 yards this year and his field goals have provided the winning margin in four games for the 8-4 Lobos in 2007.
A four-year walk-on, Sullivan was placed on scholarship in August of 2007 – four months after suffering a torn ACL in his left plant leg during a kickoff drill in spring practice. He played his first football game since 2002 in the Lobos’ season-opener at UTEP, but began his career 2-4 on field goals in a six-point UNM loss. Since that game he has hit 24-25 field goals, including a school record 18 straight – the second longest streak in the nation this year.
New Mexico will play Nevada in New Mexico Bowl II on Saturday, Dec. 22. The game will be televised live on ESPN as the only game in its time slot.