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Message: [QUOTE="CuseLegacy, post: 3655521, member: 469"] [SIZE=22px][B]COONEY EARNS PICCOLO AWARD[/B][/SIZE] 12/21/2020 9:43:00 PM | Football Syracuse senior punter Nolan Cooney has been named the recipient of the Atlantic Coast Conference's 2020 Brian Piccolo Award, as announced by the league on Monday. The Piccolo Award has been given annually since 1970 in memory of the late Brian Piccolo to the "most courageous" football player in the ACC. As a standout running back at Wake Forest, Piccolo was the ACC Athlete of the Year in 1965 and played for the Chicago Bears before his career was cut short when he was diagnosed with cancer. His courageous fight against the disease was an inspiration to the Bears and the entire football community. Cooney, a native of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, was diagnosed with testicular cancer as a high school junior. During surgery, doctors discovered the cancer had spread to his lungs, requiring Cooney to undergo chemotherapy. He missed nine weeks of school and could not take part in sports due to his compromised immune system. A three-sport athlete in soccer, basketball and baseball prior to his diagnosis, Cooney followed up on his father's suggestion to try developing his skills as a football punter. He spent time in his driveway and street teaching himself how to punt, and then attended a kicking and punting camp determined to take his new skill to a higher level. After one year punting at Bridgton Academy, he enrolled at Syracuse with no scholarship offer or prior contact with the football coaching staff. Cooney earned a spot on the roster behind three-time All-ACC punter Sterling Hofrichter but worked his way onto the field as the regular holder for Lou Groza Award winning placekicker Andre Szmyt. When Cooney finally got the chance to punt for the Orange on a regular basis this season, he made the most of that opportunity. He ranks third in the ACC with an average of 44.8 yards per punt, and he leads the conference in punts downed inside the 20-yard line (24) and in punts that traveled more than 50 yards (25) with only three touchbacks. Cooney was named the Ray Guy National Punter of the Week on Oct. 20 and was named to the watch list for the Ray Guy Award, which is presented to the top collegiate punter in the nation. He has also been named a Pro Football Focus Honorable Mention All-American. "Nolan has been a fantastic person to have in our football program, both on and off the field, and very deserving of this award," head coach Dino Babers said. "For him to have gone through that battle at a young age and accomplish his goal of playing football at a high level in the ACC says a lot about his perseverance." Cooney becomes the first student-athlete from Syracuse's to earn the ACC's Brian Piccolo Award and the university's entrance into the conference in 2013. [/QUOTE]

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