Not often is a punter a weapon in college football, but for Florida Atlantic, redshirt-junior Mickey Groody is just that. In big part thanks to Groody's performance, the Owls had only 10 punts returned against them all of last season, finishing the year tied for sixth in the nation. With a 40+ yard punt average, Groody enters the 2010 football season as one of the top punters in the Sun Belt Conference and is a candidate for the Ray Guy Award which is bestowed upon the nation’s top punter.

Taking over the starting role in FAU's second contest last year, Groody had one of his best games against South Carolina, punting the ball five times while having three returned for a total of -10 yards. Known for ball placement, he has been consistently assigned directional punting duties since joining the squad and will continue in the starting role for the Owls this season.

Graduating from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl, Groody earned All-County and All-America MSL honors his senior year. A three sport athlete, he played football, baseball and basketball. In signing with the Owls, Groody became the first ever punter to receive a scholarship FAU.

Groody recently sat down with us for “Up Close”.

Quick Hits

What is your favorite food?

“Chinese food, for sure.”

What is your pet peeve?

“Cold water.”

Who is your current off the field role model?

“My mom and dad.”

What are you most proud of?

“That I’m here in college and playing football.”

What is your major?

“Management and Finance. I actually want to coach eventually. I would love to be a special teams coordinator, but since they don’t really have special teams coordinators in college, I’d like to be any college coach really. ”

What is your Faith?

“Catholic.”

Line of scrimmage

What aspect of your game do you feel is your strength?

“Pooch punting. Popping it in the corner kind of thing.”

What aspect of your game do you feel is your weakness?

“Consistency, for sure.”

Down the field

Besides football, what brought you to FAU?

“Location, you can’t beat football here in paradise.”

What are your goals for the upcoming season?

“To have our punt team back at the number one ranking in the nation. We were at the number one ranking in the nation for a little bit last year, so to get back to that.”

What game are you looking forward to the most next season?

“All of them. One at a time, so I guess right now UAB.”

What do you want FAU fans to know about you personally?

“I work at the Rec Center, so I’m there a lot playing basketball and in the pool. I also have skin cancer, that I was diagnosed with my senior year of high school, so every game and every practice I’m in long sleeves and long socks.”

Touchdown

Coming up, our next player transferred into FAU from Division III powerhouse Mount Union.