The annual Fred Mitchell Outstanding Place Kicking Award is provided to the nation's top collegiate place kicker among more than 600 FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA football teams. The Award is named for Fred Mitchell, the record-setting place-kicker, Wittenberg University Athletic Hall of Famer, author, philanthropist and Chicago Tribune sports columnist. The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award will be chosen based on excellence on the football field and in the community. The Award's Watch List is released in August, top performers are recognized monthly during the college football season, and the winner is announced in mid-December. The school of the Award winner receives scholarship funds and the Fred Mitchell Award trophy will be presented in February at the National Football Foundation Chicago Metro Chapter Awards Ceremony at Halas Hall.

A blue-ribbon Selection Committee (listed at www.fredmitchellaward.com) evaluates place kickers that are nominated by their schools. There are nine members of the Pro and/or College Football Hall of Fame on the Selection Committee including Tom Beck, George Blanda, Kevin Butler, Lou Holtz, Paul Hornung, Marv Levy, Steve McMichael, Don Pierson and Gale Sayers. Several former football players that are active in their communities are also on the Selection Committee including Carl Allegretti, Sean Gothier, Dan Jiggetts, Jeff Michalczyk, Mark Murphy, Rob Perry, Jeff Schebler, Bob Thomas, Todd Wilkins, Gary Zauner and Rob Zvonar. There are nine former college or NFL place-kickers on the Selection Committee.

Willets, who is a native of Gibsonville, N.C., is coming off a 2009 season where he was an All-PFL Second Team choice. He was 9-for-12 on field goal attempts and made 18 of his 22 extra points for 45 points. Of the nine field goals he made, seven came from the distance between 30-49 yards, which led the conference. Overall, Willets ranked third in the in league in field goals per game (0.82) and 12th in the league in scoring among all players (4.09 pts per gm). Willets was named the Pioneer Football League's Special Teams Player of the Week twice in 2009. He set and broke his own school record with a 42-yard and then a 44-yard field goal in back-to-back weeks while scoring 10 points (Butler) and then 11 points (Morehead State). Willets is the school's all-time leading point scorer and enters his third season of competition with 71 career points. Earlier in the preseason, Willets was a Preseason First Team All-PFL selection by Phil Steele's Magazine. The place kicker is an active member of the community and has served as a Relay for Life Volunteer in each of the last three years. He also was part of service projects for local families in the area called "Stop Hunger Now" in 2010 and "Operation Christmas Child" from 2007-10.

Campbell opens the 2010 football season on the road on Sept. 4 against UVA Wise at 6 p.m. CU will play its first home game on Sept. 11 at Barker-Lane Stadium against Old Dominion at 1 p.m.