Iowa State kicker Cole Netten earns AP All-Big 12 honor

AMES — Cole Netten already capped the most prolific kicking career in Iowa State football history.

Now he's adding some postseason recognition to his resume.

Netten was named to the AP All-Big 12 first team on Tuesday, and was the only Cyclones player selected to either the first or second team. The Ankeny native ended his career as the program's all-time leading scorer with 300 points.

'Coming into it if you would have told me I'd be the record holder for some of that stuff, I wouldn't have believed you,' Netten said after connecting on four field goals in the season finale against West Virginia. 'I didn't really look to the future when I came here. The one thing I did, I think, was focus on the now, come to work every day and try to perfect my craft and do the best I can.'

Netten, who also was named to ESPN's All-Big 12 team, was 16-of-17 on field goals as a senior and 35-of-37 on PATs. He became the school-record holder in scoring (300), field goal percentage (79.4), PATs (138), consecutive field goals made (15) and is second all-time in career field goals made with 54.

'He's making it harder for everybody to catch up here I think,' Iowa State Coach Matt Campbell said after the last game. 'It was great to see him have success and score points.

'I don't know if I could have been prouder of a guy from the day we've gotten here to the day we're leaving here of his by-in value, his success that he's had. You heard me talk a lot of process, I think he really found a way to affect his own process and the result is staggering for him.'

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