ROCK HILL, S.C. – For the second time this season, Carson-Newman freshman kick Nate Craft (Salem, Va.) has been named the South Atlantic Conference's AstroTurf Special Teams Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday morning.
Craft becomes the first special teamer to be honored twice in one season with player of the week honors since kicker Carson Wise was lauded three times during the 2015. Craft and linebacker Rondrow Peebles (Knoxville, Tenn.) have both earned multiple player of the week awards from the conference office this season.
The freshman kicker notched 12 points in the Eagles' 48-21 win over Mars Hill Saturday. He went 6-for-6 on extra points and drilled two field goals longer than 40 yards.
Craft started the scoring by launching a 50-yard field goal through the uprights into a breeze on the Eagles' opening possession. The 50-yard field goal was the first by a Carson-Newman kicker since Curt Duncan's school-record 54-yarder against Tusculum in 2012. It registers as the ninth 50-yard field goal in Carson-Newman football history.
Craft also became the first Carson-Newman kicker to knock through a pair of 40-yard kicks in one game (Craft's second field goal was true from 42) since Duncan as well. Duncan hit from 43 and 50 en route to scoring a school-record 17 points as a kicker in a win over Lenoir-Rhyne in week three of 2012.
The Salem, Va.-native punted three times with a 45 yard average pinning MHU inside its 20 once. He also kicked six touchbacks.
Craft and the rest of the Eagles tangle with Limestone Saturday. Kickoff with the Saints is set for 1 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at noon with the AEC Tailgate Show on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
