Troy University Athletics
Photo by: Kevin Glackmeyer
Spring Practice Position Breakdown: Special Teams
4/12/2013 1:29:00 PM | Football
TROY, Ala. – The Troy football team continued its spring practice schedule on Friday afternoon with a shells only workout after inclement weather forced Thursday's scheduled practice to be moved back a day.
The Trojans will take part in a full scrimmage Saturday morning at 10 a.m. inside Veterans Memorial Stadium in preparation for the annual T-Day Spring Game on April 20 at 11 a.m.
All practices and scrimmages are open to the public unless otherwise noted.
Spring Practice Position Breakdown: Special Teams
With a strong returning core and a solid influx of young talent, the Troy football team is anxious to start the 2013 season looking to bring another Sun Belt title back to Troy. In the coming days, TroyTrojans.com will offer a positional breakdown of the Trojans as spring practice unfolds into the culmination of the T-Day Spring Game on April 20.
Today's installment will focus on the special teams unit, where senior kicker and punter Will Scott returns for his senior year, to go along with the return of two long snappers and a few kick return specialists.
Kickers
Senior Will Scott returns for his senior season after delivering solid kicking duties last season. Scott finished the 2012 season 17-of-21 in field goals and 40-of-42 in PAT's. The senior finished the season with 12-straight made field goals and picked up the highlight of his career at home against FIU with a game-winning 42-yard field goal in the final seconds to give Troy a 38-37 victory. Scott also established a new Troy school record with a 52-yard field goal at Florida Atlantic.
Scott delivered 30 of Troy's 71 kickoffs last season and averaged 61 yards per kick and picked up 12 touchbacks.
Jed Solomon, a returning sophomore out of Valdosta, Ga., accounted for 41 of Troy's kickoffs a year ago and finished the season with 11 touchbacks.
Both Scott and Solomon have continued to split kickoff duties all spring and will take that competition into the fall as the season approaches.
Punters
Scott handled all of the punting duties for the Trojans last season and averaged 41.0 yards per punt. He pinned 18 of his kicks inside the 20-yard line with seven traveling over 50 yards and only two landing in the end zone for touchbacks. Troy led the Sun Belt Conference with a 38.4 net average on its punts last season; opponents were able to return 16 punts for just 32 yards.
After taking a redshirt last season, Ryan Kay returns as Troy's other punter in 2013 and will look to contend with Scott for punting responsibilities.
Long Snappers/Holders
Troy returns its two long snappers from last season in seniors Hunter Graham and Kendall Gibson. Like the kicking duties, Troy continues to rotate Graham and Gibson throughout the spring, as Graham looks to handle the long snapping for punts, while Gibson will deliver the (short) snaps on field goals.
At the holder position, one of the most overlooked spots on the field, Troy will have to re-assign that role from last year after Jaquon Robinson graduated. Wide receiver Brett Thiesen is currently listed as the number one holder with quarterback Corey Robinson as the backup.
Kick/Punt Returners
With the departure of Justin Albert, Troy will look to find a new person to fill his role at the punt return position, while Chandler Worthy returns as Troy's number one kick returner from last season.
Worthy returned 23 kicks last season for 507 yards and returns as Troy's main contender at the position. Bryan Holmes, who played at receiver last season and caught one pass, will line up next to Worthy as the number two kick returner and also handle the punt return duties according to early evaluation through spring practice.
The Trojans will take part in a full scrimmage Saturday morning at 10 a.m. inside Veterans Memorial Stadium in preparation for the annual T-Day Spring Game on April 20 at 11 a.m.
All practices and scrimmages are open to the public unless otherwise noted.
Spring Practice Position Breakdown: Special Teams
With a strong returning core and a solid influx of young talent, the Troy football team is anxious to start the 2013 season looking to bring another Sun Belt title back to Troy. In the coming days, TroyTrojans.com will offer a positional breakdown of the Trojans as spring practice unfolds into the culmination of the T-Day Spring Game on April 20.
Today's installment will focus on the special teams unit, where senior kicker and punter Will Scott returns for his senior year, to go along with the return of two long snappers and a few kick return specialists.
Kickers
Senior Will Scott returns for his senior season after delivering solid kicking duties last season. Scott finished the 2012 season 17-of-21 in field goals and 40-of-42 in PAT's. The senior finished the season with 12-straight made field goals and picked up the highlight of his career at home against FIU with a game-winning 42-yard field goal in the final seconds to give Troy a 38-37 victory. Scott also established a new Troy school record with a 52-yard field goal at Florida Atlantic.
Scott delivered 30 of Troy's 71 kickoffs last season and averaged 61 yards per kick and picked up 12 touchbacks.
Jed Solomon, a returning sophomore out of Valdosta, Ga., accounted for 41 of Troy's kickoffs a year ago and finished the season with 11 touchbacks.
Both Scott and Solomon have continued to split kickoff duties all spring and will take that competition into the fall as the season approaches.
Punters
Scott handled all of the punting duties for the Trojans last season and averaged 41.0 yards per punt. He pinned 18 of his kicks inside the 20-yard line with seven traveling over 50 yards and only two landing in the end zone for touchbacks. Troy led the Sun Belt Conference with a 38.4 net average on its punts last season; opponents were able to return 16 punts for just 32 yards.
After taking a redshirt last season, Ryan Kay returns as Troy's other punter in 2013 and will look to contend with Scott for punting responsibilities.
Long Snappers/Holders
Troy returns its two long snappers from last season in seniors Hunter Graham and Kendall Gibson. Like the kicking duties, Troy continues to rotate Graham and Gibson throughout the spring, as Graham looks to handle the long snapping for punts, while Gibson will deliver the (short) snaps on field goals.
At the holder position, one of the most overlooked spots on the field, Troy will have to re-assign that role from last year after Jaquon Robinson graduated. Wide receiver Brett Thiesen is currently listed as the number one holder with quarterback Corey Robinson as the backup.
Kick/Punt Returners
With the departure of Justin Albert, Troy will look to find a new person to fill his role at the punt return position, while Chandler Worthy returns as Troy's number one kick returner from last season.
Worthy returned 23 kicks last season for 507 yards and returns as Troy's main contender at the position. Bryan Holmes, who played at receiver last season and caught one pass, will line up next to Worthy as the number two kick returner and also handle the punt return duties according to early evaluation through spring practice.
Goose Crowder - T-Day
Saturday, April 18
Donnie Smith - T-Day
Saturday, April 18
Gerad Parker - T-Day
Saturday, April 18
Gerad Parker - April 16
Thursday, April 16