09 Preview: Specialists Return Mostly Intact

Each Tuesday and Thursday until Fall Camp opens August 2, TroyTrojans.com will release in-depth position-by-position scouting reports to help you, the fan, make it through the last month of Summer.

SPECIALISTS RETURN MOSTLY INTACT

Going into the 2008 season, no one knew what the Trojans' kicking game would look like. Greg Whibbs had been holding down the fort on placements for four years and had also handled kickoffs and punts as a senior. With him off to law school, the Trojans turned to three players to fill the void.

Sam Glusman, a former walk-on, took on the placement duty and had a record-setting season as a junior. He went from a dark-horse to win the job at Troy to a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award after hitting a school-record 20-of-29 field goal attempts – including his first 12 tries – as well as 48-of-52 PAT kicks.

The rest of the kicking duties went to a pair of redshirt freshmen, and both delivered.

Will Goggans took over as the punter and averaged 39.2 yards while pinning 18 of his 52 attempts inside the opposing 20 yard line. His efforts helped Troy hold opponents to just 38 yards on punt returns all season, an average of just 2.5 yards per attempts.

Troy was almost as good on kickoffs as well behind Michael Taylor. He averaged 58.2 yards on 89 kickoffs and was credited with nine touchbacks.

On the other side of the kicking game, Jorrick Calvin is back to handle returns. As a junior he posted a 9.9 yard average on punt returns and a 25.7 yard average on kickoff returns that included a 95-yard return for a touchdown against North Texas. His return prowess carried over to defense where he had two fumble returns for scores and averaged 21 yards on two interception returns.

Calvin will get help on returns this fall from senior running back Maurice Greer on kickoffs and senior receiver Cornelius Williams on punts. Junior receiver Jerrel Jernigan is also a candidate to sneak in for a return during the year.

The only key spot on special teams that must be filled this fall is at long snapper where Derick Thomas has handled the job for the last two years.

Three players will compete to fill that void, and the come from vastly different circumstances.

Sophomore Drew Robinson is a walk-on offensive lineman who has added snapping to his repetoire. Wes Henry is another sophomore walk-on, but he arrived at Troy hoping to play linebacker. The third candidate to fill the job is fifth-year senior Chris Burkhalter, who is probably one of the most familiar faces to Troy fans on the team, but most won't know why.

Burkhalter arrived at Troy in 2005 as a fresh-faced offensive lineman. He came into camp that first year at about 265 pounds expecting to redshirt before working his way into the lineup over the next four years.

Instead, health concerns shelved his playing career and he became a student-coach. For the last three seasons he has spent his Saturday afternoons on the sideline for the Trojans, gesturing wildly when Troy has had the ball, signaling in formations and plays.

Now, at 225 pounds and with his health issue under control, he is hoping to finally get onto the field for the Trojans this fall as the teams' long snapper. He will likely continue in his role signaling in plays and formations, but will now have a chance to get into the action himself.

Whoever wins the long snapper job will be snapping to junior receiver Austin Silvoy on placements, a job he has held since his freshman season. Senior receiver Zack Marcum has also handled placements for Troy over the last three years.

For up-to-the-minute information, check back to TroyTrojans.com. Season tickets are on sale now at the Troy University Athletics Ticket Office. For more information or to order season tickets, call 1-877-878-WINS.

Troy University Athletics

09 Preview: Specialists Return Mostly Intact

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