Utah Utes football: Sakoda embarks on banquet circuit

A day after learning he'll finish his Utah career in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama, kicker/punter Louie Sakoda embarked on a busy week on the banquet circuit. The senior will be in New York and Orlando this week as a finalist for several national awards.

"It's good to be Louie right now," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "No question. 'King Louie' has never been more applicable."

Whittingham and Sakoda flew to New York City Monday. They'll represent the Utes at today's National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame awards dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

"I'm going to ride along his coattails to New York and tag along," Whittingham said. "I'm just excited for Louie. It looks like he's going to have a lot of good things happen to him."

Sakoda, who has already been awarded an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship from the organization, is being honored as one of 15 members of the NFF's Scholar-Athlete Class and a finalist for the prestigious Draddy Trophy. He's a business marketing major with a 3.73 grade point average.

"I'm excited and a little bit stressed because it's right during finals week," Sakoda said. "So I'm going to be strolling to the Draddy awards with all my textbooks in hand. Hopefully that will make me look good."

Whatever happens, he added, it'll be a good experience.

The gathering will be a star-studded affair. Heisman Trophy finalists Chase Daniel of Missouri and Graham Harrell of Texas Tech are among the other Draddy Trophy candidates. Troy Aikman and Lou Holtz are among those being inducted into the Hall of Fame at the dinner. Other awards are being presented to John Glenn, T. Boone Pickens and long-time WAC and Mountain West official Thomas Robinson.

On Wednesday, Sakoda will fly to Orlando and attend the Home Depot/ESPNU College Football Awards Show on Thursday. Sakoda is one of three finalists for both of the nation's highest kicking (Lou Groza) and punting (Ray Guy) awards. He'll be joined at the show by his parents and Utah special teams coordinator Jay Hill.

"I think he deserves it both as a place-kicker and a punter,"

Whittingham said. "So hopefully he'll get recognition for both."

Sakoda is just the second player ever to be a finalist for each of the awards in the same season. The three-time Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Year is flattered by the recognition.