A national player of the year award was probably the furthest thing from the mind of Roldan Alcobendas when he was laying on a high school soccer field in the spring of 2013 and on the turf at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Mont., a year-and-a-half later.
But after two knee surgeries and more rehabilitation work than most people can endure, the sixth-year senior has been recognized for his perseverance and accuracy as the 2018 recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award. The announcement was made on Dec. 10, just a few days after Mitchell notified him he had won the award, presented for excellence on the football field and in the community.
“I’m at a loss for words and was honestly speechless when Mr. Mitchell let me know,” Alcobendas, a 2013 graduate of Camas (Wash.) High School, said. “I’m very honored to be recognized with this award.”
Alcobendas will receive the award in February at the National Football Foundation Chicago Metro Chapter Awards Ceremony at Halas Hall. The honor has been awarded since 2009, and is presented to the nation’s top place-kicker in FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and NJCAA for excellence on the football field and in the community. Over 750 place-kickers are eligible.
“It’s incredible, absolutely incredible,” Eastern head coach Aaron Best said. “He came in wounded and worked his way back on the football field. He hurt his knee again in 2014 in Bozeman and came back again from that. The evaluative measure for a kicker is putting it between the pipes – it doesn’t matter how long or how pretty, it matters if it gets done. Roldan got it done.”
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