Jacksonville State's James Esco is among 36 place-kickers that received the Fred Mitchell Award for excellence on the football field and in the community during the month of October.

Esco, a junior from Leesburg, Ga., is 5-for-5 on his field goals this year and leads the Gamecocks in scoring with 42 points. He scored eight points in JSU's 38-30 win over Murray State on October 1, and hit his fifth straight field goal of the season with a 19-yard kick at Austin Peay on Oct. 15.

Esco, who spent the summer as a volunteer at the Gadsden Museum of Cultural Arts Center, also routinely speaks to juvenile diabetes patients as a diabetic himself.

The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award will be announced in mid-December based on performance on the field and in the community.  Details are provided at www.fredmitchellaward.com.