Blake Grupe
No. 19 – New Orleans Saints | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Placekicker | ||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||
Born: | Sedalia, Missouri, U.S. | November 5, 1998||||||||||||
Height: | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||||||||||||
Weight: | 156 lb (71 kg) | ||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||
High school: | Smith-Cotton (Sedalia, Missouri) | ||||||||||||
College: | Arkansas State (2017–2021) Notre Dame (2022) | ||||||||||||
Undrafted: | 2023 | ||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2023 | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Blake Grupe
Early years
Blake Grupe was born on November 5, 1998.[2] He attended Smith Cotton High School in Sedalia, Missouri, and was a three-sport athlete, playing soccer, baseball and football, although he did not begin playing football until his sophomore year.[3] As a senior, he was named all-state in both football and soccer, setting the school's records for single-season and career field goals made.[3] He committed to play college football for the Arkansas State Red Wolves.[4]
College career
As a true freshman at Arkansas State in 2017, Grupe redshirted.[3] The following year, he earned the starting placekicking job in week three and finished the season having converted 14-of-21 attempts, placing seventh in the Sun Belt Conference.[3] In 2019, Grupe made 19-of-22 field goal attempts and was named first-team all-conference as well as a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award as best placekicker nationally; his 110 total points scored set a school record for kickers and was second-best in the conference, additionally being the 13th-best total in the United States.[5][6]
In 2020, Grupe went 11-of-18 on field goals and made 43 extra points.[6][7] In his final year at Arkansas State, 2021, he made 20-of-25 field goals and all but one of his 32 extra point attempts.[8] He holds several school records, including career extra points made (162), career field goals made (64) and career points scored (354).[9] Grupe transferred to Notre Dame for his final season of eligibility in 2022.[10] He went 14-of-19 on field goals and made all 49 of his extra point attempts in his lone year with the team.[11]
College statistics
Year | Team | GP | Overall FGs | PATs | Total points | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lng | FGA | FGM | Pct | XPA | XPM | Pct | ||||
2017 | Arkansas State | 0 | DNP | |||||||
2018 | Arkansas State | 11 | 47 | 21 | 14 | 66.7 | 38 | 35 | 92.1 | 77 |
2019 | Arkansas State | 13 | 46 | 22 | 19 | 86.4 | 54 | 53 | 98.1 | 110 |
2020 | Arkansas State | 11 | 42 | 18 | 11 | 61.1 | 45 | 43 | 95.6 | 76 |
2021 | Arkansas State | 12 | 50 | 25 | 20 | 80.0 | 32 | 31 | 96.9 | 91 |
2022 | Notre Dame | 13 | 47 | 19 | 14 | 73.7 | 49 | 49 | 100.0 | 91 |
Career | 60 | 50 | 105 | 78 | 74.3 | 218 | 211 | 96.8 | 445 |
Professional career
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 ft 6+7⁄8 in (1.70 m) |
152 lb (69 kg) |
27+3⁄4 in (0.70 m) |
8+5⁄8 in (0.22 m) | |||||||||
All values from Pro Day[12]
|
After going unselected in the
In Week 3 of the 2023 season, Grupe missed a 46-yard go-ahead field goal against the Green Bay Packers, resulting in a Saints loss.[18] In Week 5, Grupe was named National Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after completing four extra points, two 50+ yard field goals, and recording five touchbacks on seven kickoffs in a 34–0 win over the New England Patriots.[19]
NFL career statistics
Year | Team | GP | Overall FGs | PATs | Kickoffs | Total points | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lng | FGA | FGM | Pct | XPA | XPM | Pct | KO | Avg | TB | ||||
2023 | NO | 17 | 55 | 37 | 30 | 81.1 | 40 | 40 | 100.0 | 91 | 64.0 | 76 | 130 |
Career | 17 | 55 | 37 | 30 | 81.1 | 40 | 40 | 100.0 | 91 | 64.0 | 76 | 130 |
References
- ^ "Blake Grupe Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
- ^ "Blake Grupe". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Daeschner, Trenton (October 4, 2019). "Grupe thriving after challenge". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ Kirby, Randy (February 1, 2017). "Two Smith-Cotton Seniors Sign to Play College Football". KSIS. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ "Arkansas State kicker Blake Grupe on Groza Award watch list". KAIT. July 22, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ a b "Blake Grupe". Arkansas State Red Wolves. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ Loy, Tom (January 13, 2022). "Graduate Transfer Kicker Commits to Notre Dame". 247Sports. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ Farmer, Douglas (May 11, 2022). "Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 99 Blake Grupe, kicker, Arkansas State transfer". NBC Sports. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ "Blake Grupe". New Orleans Saints. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ Sigler, John (June 6, 2023). "Saints believe a legitimate kicker competition is brewing ahead of training camp". Saints Wire. USA Today. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Blake Grupe College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
- ^ Sanders, Dylan (April 29, 2023). "New Orleans Saints sign undrafted Notre Dame kicker Blake Grupe". Saints Wire. USA Today. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ "Former Arkansas State kicker Blake Grupe boots game-winner for Saints in Week 1 of NFL Preseason". KAIT. Associated Press. August 13, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ DeShazier, John (August 29, 2023). "Rookie kicker Blake Grupe remains poised, makes New Orleans Saints' 53-man roster". NewOrleansSaints.com. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- NOLA.com. August 28, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ Mackel, Fletcher (August 29, 2023). "Report: Broncos trade for Saints kicker Wil Lutz, rookie Blake Grupe wins job for Black & Gold". WDSU. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ Johnson, Luke. "Saints Blake Grupe on his 4th quarter miss: 'Guys did their job. I've got to be better'". NOLA. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
- ^ Gordon, Grant (October 11, 2023). "Bears WR D.J. Moore, Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase highlight Players of the Week". NFL.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.