Loftus to be honored as top high school scholar-athlete

Freshman kicker Connor Loftus may have been recruited for his legs, but his brain is also an asset to the Ancient Eight.

Loftus was announced as one of five winners of the 2011 National High School Scholar-Athlete Award, given out by The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF). The winners were selected from 400,000 high school football players covered by the NFF Chapter Network.

The award strives "to honor the absolute finest from the gridiron at the high school level," according to NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell.

Loftus graduated from Servite High School in Villa Park, Calif. In each of his four seasons there, he was ranked in the top five of all kickers nationally. He also helped his team to an overall 44-9 record on the way to four consecutive Trinity League championships. Off the field, he posted a 4.78 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale and was named the school's salutatorian.

The freshman has had big shoes to fill at Penn, however, succeeding Andrew Samson, the best kicker in Penn football history. He has struggled a bit so far. In the Quakers' comeback win at Dartmouth on Oct. 1, Loftus nailed a 35-yard attempt at the end of the first half to put the Quakers up by 10, but also missed a 38-yarder and had another attempt blocked, two scores that could have cost the Quakers a win. Heading into this weekend's game against Yale, he is 6 for 9 on field goal attempts, with a long of 44 yards.

Penn coach Al Bagnoli isn't worried about his young kicker and certainly isn't surprised about his award.

"Connor has been a terrific addition to our program," Bagnoli told Penn Athletics. "He is certainly deserving of this award. He had a tremendous high school career and we knew we were getting a great kid with an excellent history of success on the field and in the classroom."

Loftus will have some Ivy League company when he is honored at a reception at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City on December 6th. While he represents the Western Region, Princeton wide receiver Matt Costello and Columbia defensive back Tyler Hamblin will represent the Northeast and Midwest regions, respectively.