If the reports are accurate, one of the best kickers in the country will be on ice for the first quarter of the upcoming season.
First reported by Bruce Feldman of FOXSports.com, West Virginia Josh Lambert has been suspended for the first three games of the 2016 season. The Charleston Gazette-Mail‘s Mike Casazza subsequently confirmed the suspension.
According to Feldman, Lambert “was found [to be] in violation of [unspecified] Big 12 eligibility rules,” thus triggering the suspension. Per Casazza, the punitive measure was initially steeper.Source: Lambert violated conference eligibility rules. Initial suspension was to be significantly longer. WVU appealed, and ban was reduced.
— Mike Casazza (@mikecasazza) April 15, 2016
WVU has yet to comment publicly on the development.
In 2014, Lambert was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award. In his three years as the Mountaineers’ placekicker, Lambert has connected on 68-of-90 field-goal attempts and led the team in scoring all three seasons. He’s currently second in school history in made field goals, third in career points (337) and fifth in made extra points (133).