I remember in HS our starting QB (Nate Poole) was our backup punter, but also our starting punt returner. When our starting punter got injured, obviously he stepped in to punt. But we quickly realized that we didn’t really have a 3rd string punter. No one else on the team could punt the ball well enough for Nate to practice catching punts or warm up catching punts before the games. Long story short, I ended up having to throw punts to Nate during practice and before games. LOL
I could throw a really high ball with consistent accuracy for around 40-45 yards. It mimic’d a good spiraling punt by a high school punter pretty well. When we were trying to figure out who was going to be the 3rd string punter (a bunch of us took turns), it was a waste of time. In a pinch if we just wanted to punt during the game it might have worked, but it did nothing for Nate to practice catching balls. We all either couldn’t get the ball very far, very high or it sprayed everywhere. Our head baseball coach was helping out the football coaches at the time, as a low level assistant. After watching the embarrassing display of all of us trying to punt, he was the one that finally turned to our head coach and what seemed like part jokingly said “Wes has an arm.” There was a slight pause and then “alright Wes, you’re up. Just throw it.” As soon as they saw me launch it the 3rd string punter tryout was over.
That’s funny.
Somehow I got accurate with my punts, not with kickoffs. I could kick it high and somewhat accurately but could never drive the ball to be a good punter. In baseball I pitched and played shortstop and had an arm but throwing a football was somehow a different story, never even tried to be a QB, just hand me the ball.
