DALLAS – After being named to the conference's first team on Tuesday, Aggie kicker Ethan Albertson has been named CUSA Special Teams Player of the Year – the league announced on Wednesday following a vote of the nine CUSA head coaches.
 
Albertson's selection comes on the heels of the kicker's best season of his career as the San Diego native knocked in 18 field goals to pace all Conference USA kickers while also ranking second in field goal percentage at .783. The mark of 18 made field goals is also the most in a single season by any Aggie kicker in the history of the program. Albertson also garnered three CUSA Special Teams Player of the Week honors to lead all CUSA specialists this season.
 
As a redshirt senior, Albertson also ranked first in the league in field goals per game (1.29) and total points scored (102) while ranking second in scoring (7.3 points per game). Albertson was also automatic on point-after-touchdown attempts – going 48-of-49 across 14 games this season.
 
Entering bowl season, Albertson has managed at least one made field goal in 12 of the Aggies' 14 games this season, including connecting on two field goals in six contests this season. Albertson's talent proved vital in several games this season, specifically against LA Tech and Jax State as the Aggies went on to win both games by just three points.
 
Against LA Tech, Albertson was 2-2 on field goal attempts, including a kick in the fourth quarter from 31 yards out that would go on to be the game-winner after giving the Aggies a 27-24 advantage. Earlier in the game versus the Bulldogs, Albertson also knocked in a season-long 47-yard field goal to score the Aggies' first points of the game.
 
Later in the season, Albertson's right leg would again prove to be the deciding factor in the game as he split the uprights with a kick from 42 yards to give the Aggies a three-point lead as the final seconds ticked off the clock in what was Albertson's final game inside Aggie Memorial Stadium. This was actually Albertson's second buzzer-beating kick of the game after making a 27-yard field goal in the waning seconds of the second quarter.
 
Albertson's role as a kicker for the Aggies is also not limited to just field goals as he serves as the primary kickoff kicker and has done an exceptional job this season. On the season, Albertson saw 48 of his 68 kickoff attempts result in touchbacks, including disallowing a return on 26 of 31 kicks during CUSA play.
 
During Albertson's five-year stint with the Aggies, he has compiled some of the best kicking statistics in NM State history. Currently, Albertson ranks inside the top ten in NM State history for field goals made (2^nd, 44), field goals attempted (3^rd, 58), field goal percentage (1^st, 75.8%), extra points made (3^rd, 109), extra points attempted (3^rd, 113) and extra point percentage (4^th, 96.5%) Additionally, with four made field goals in the New Mexico Bowl, Albertson would become the Aggies' all-time leader in made field goals in a career.