Smith named to Ray Guy Watch List

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Senior punter Colby Smith has been named to the Ray Guy Award Watch List for the 2006 season. Smith is one of 33 players to make the prestigious group and the lone representative from the Sun Belt Conference.

Smith, who also made the Ray Guy Watch List in 2005, is averaging 41.6 yards a punt to rank No. 33 nationally so far in 2006. The Franklin, Tenn., native recorded a personal-best 19 punts inside the 20-yard line in 2005 and already has seven on 17 attempts in 2006. In the season-opening win over Florida International, Smith registered a 79-yard punt which matched the longest in Sun Belt Conference history and was the second longest ever recorded at Middle Tennessee.

Smith has more than one job with the Blue Raiders as he is one of just nine players in the I-A ranks who handles placekicking, punting, and kicking off. Following are the players who are on the 2006 Watch List:

Jared Armstrong, Jr., Purdue
Tyson Beattie, Sr., Indiana
Chris Beckman, Sr., Tulane
Kody Bliss, Sr., Auburn
Justin Brantly, So., Texas A&M
Brendan Carney, Sr., Syracuse
Ken DeBauche, Jr., Wisconsin
John Deraney, Sr., N.C. State
Ryan Dougherty, Sr., East Carolina
Sean Douglas, Sr., Washington
Gordon Ely-Kelso, Sr., Georgia
Andy Fenstermaker, Sr., Iowa
Brandon Fields, Sr., Michigan State
Nick Folk, Sr., Arizona
Michael Gibson, Sr., Memphis
Adam Graessle, Sr., Pittsburgh
Michael Hughes, Jr., San Diego State
Chris Jackson, Sr., LSU
Jimmie Kaylor, Jr., Colorado State
Jim Laney, Jr., Western Michigan
Chris Miller, Ball State
Brian Monroe, Sr., Miami, FL
Thomas Morstead, So., SMU
Adam Podlesh, Sr., Maryland
Tim Reyer, Jr., Kansas State
Alex Reyes, Sr., Texas Tech
Daniel Sepulveda, Sr., Baylor
Nic Schmitt, Sr., Virginia Tech
Jacob Skinner, Sr., Arkansas
Colby Smith, Sr., Middle Tennessee
Kyle Stringer, Sr., Boise State
Kyle Tucker, Jr., Kansas
Eric Wilbur, Sr., Florida