Latest news with #RayGuyAward
Calgary Herald
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Rider training camp: Bailey Flint can punt, play the ukulele and he's quite the actor
Article content Saskatchewan Roughriders punter Bailey Flint plays the ukulele just for kicks. Article content He has studied theatre and acting. Article content And, unlike his Australian predecessors who have joined the Canadian Football League or National Football League, Flint does NOT come from much of an Aussie rules football background. Article content Article content Article content Certainly, he wasn't banking on it at age 28. Article content 'It's actually kind of funny,' he explains. 'I wasn't sure if I was going to get another chance. I called up RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) and closed my bank account up here. And, sure enough, I got a call (to join the Riders). My gosh.' Article content The Riders are looking for a new punter following the retirement of Adam Korsak, another Australian. Korsak, a West Division all-star in 2023, spent two seasons with the Riders after being selected in the 2023 Global Draft. Korsak punted 235 times while averaging 47.6 yards, with a 90-yard boot his longest. Article content Flint's door opened even further when the Riders released fellow Aussie punter Joe Couch early during training camp at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon. Article content Article content 'It's one of those things — in pro football, anything can happen on any day, if you don't perform,' offers Flint. 'I reckon if I have a bad day tomorrow, I could be on a plane, too.' Article content Article content Flint appeared in eight games with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2023, punting 52 times for an average of 45.1 yards per boot, the longest 78. Before joining the Ti-Cats as the second overall selection in the 2022 CFL Global Draft, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound punter attended rookie mini-camp with the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers. Article content Flint attended the University of Toledo, suiting up for 49 games over five seasons from 2017-2021. He averaged 40.3 yards per punt at Toledo, with 33 of his 209 punts travelling 50-plus yards (including a 72-yarder). He also buried 82 punts inside the 20-yard line. He was twice nominated for the Ray Guy Award, given annually to the NCAA's best punter.
Ottawa Citizen
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Rider training camp: Bailey Flint can punt, play the ukulele and he's quite the actor
Article content Saskatchewan Roughriders punter Bailey Flint plays the ukulele just for kicks. Article content He has studied theatre and acting. Article content He's married to a professional women's soccer player. Article content And, unlike his Australian predecessors who have joined the Canadian Football League or National Football League, Flint does NOT come from much of an Aussie rules football background. Article content Article content Article content Certainly, he wasn't banking on it at age 28. Article content 'It's actually kind of funny,' he explains. 'I wasn't sure if I was going to get another chance. I called up RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) and closed my bank account up here. And, sure enough, I got a call (to join the Riders). My gosh.' Article content The Riders are looking for a new punter following the retirement of Adam Korsak, another Australian. Article content Korsak, a West Division all-star in 2023, spent two seasons with the Riders after being selected in the 2023 Global Draft. Korsak punted 235 times while averaging 47.6 yards, with a 90-yard boot his longest. Article content Flint's door opened even further when the Riders released fellow Aussie punter Joe Couch early during training camp at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon. Article content Article content 'It's one of those things — in pro football, anything can happen on any day, if you don't perform,' offers Flint. 'I reckon if I have a bad day tomorrow, I could be on a plane, too.' Article content Article content Flint appeared in eight games with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2023, punting 52 times for an average of 45.1 yards per boot, the longest 78. Before joining the Ti-Cats as the second overall selection in the 2022 CFL Global Draft, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound punter attended rookie mini-camp with the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers. Article content Flint attended the University of Toledo, suiting up for 49 games over five seasons from 2017-2021. He averaged 40.3 yards per punt at Toledo, with 33 of his 209 punts travelling 50-plus yards (including a 72-yarder). He also buried 82 punts inside the 20-yard line. He was twice nominated for the Ray Guy Award, given annually to the NCAA's best punter.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Iowa football special teams star given lofty predictions from CBS Sports
Strong special teams are synonymous with the Iowa Hawkeyes. LeVar Woods, Iowa's special teams coordinator and arguably the best in the country, has transformed the unit into one that has won games for Iowa and often dictates field position in Big Ten battles. One way Iowa helps its offense and defense is with the punting unit. While it isn't flashy or always the most fun, Iowa does it more effectively than just about anyone in the country. They back their opponents up to help the defense, which in turn creates short fields for the offense to work on. Advertisement Leading the charge for Iowa in the punting game is the Australian, Rhys Dakin. Entering his second year with Iowa, Dakin knows he is a vital part of Iowa's success and is hoping to take the next step forward after a strong freshman campaign. If he can continue his punting prowess, CBS Sports believes he could take home the Ray Guy Award as college football's top punter. Ray Guy Award (Top Punter) Prediction: Rhys Dakin, P, Iowa Iowa is a punting factory. The Hawkeyes have another really good one in Dakin, who averaged 44.1 yards per boot as a true freshman last season while totaling 2,822 yards with his leg, ranking eighth nationally. He also led the Big Ten with 29 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. - Will Backus, CBS Sports Rhys Dakin punted 64 times for Iowa in the 2024-25 college football season with a booming average of 44.1 yards with a season-long of 61 yards. More impressively, Dakin dropped 29 of his punts (45.3%) inside the opponents' 20-yard line, which puts them against the odds on pure yardage, let alone going against Phil Parker's Iowa defense. Iowa will continue to punt and play the field position game as a more conservative team in the country. When done right, as Iowa so often does, it can win games. Advertisement Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football, Rhys Dakin land Ray Guy Award prediction from CBS
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa football special teams star given lofty predictions from CBS Sports
Iowa football special teams star given lofty predictions from CBS Sports Strong special teams are synonymous with the Iowa Hawkeyes. LeVar Woods, Iowa's special teams coordinator and arguably the best in the country, has transformed the unit into one that has won games for Iowa and often dictates field position in Big Ten battles. One way Iowa helps its offense and defense is with the punting unit. While it isn't flashy or always the most fun, Iowa does it more effectively than just about anyone in the country. They back their opponents up to help the defense, which in turn creates short fields for the offense to work on. Leading the charge for Iowa in the punting game is the Australian, Rhys Dakin. Entering his second year with Iowa, Dakin knows he is a vital part of Iowa's success and is hoping to take the next step forward after a strong freshman campaign. If he can continue his punting prowess, CBS Sports believes he could take home the Ray Guy Award as college football's top punter. Ray Guy Award (Top Punter) Prediction: Rhys Dakin, P, Iowa Iowa is a punting factory. The Hawkeyes have another really good one in Dakin, who averaged 44.1 yards per boot as a true freshman last season while totaling 2,822 yards with his leg, ranking eighth nationally. He also led the Big Ten with 29 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. - Will Backus, CBS Sports Rhys Dakin punted 64 times for Iowa in the 2024-25 college football season with a booming average of 44.1 yards with a season-long of 61 yards. More impressively, Dakin dropped 29 of his punts (45.3%) inside the opponents' 20-yard line, which puts them against the odds on pure yardage, let alone going against Phil Parker's Iowa defense. Iowa will continue to punt and play the field position game as a more conservative team in the country. When done right, as Iowa so often does, it can win games. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Oregon football makes post-spring transfer portal addition
A lot of good things happened for the Oregon Ducks in their annual spring game last week, but one thing head coach Dan Lanning wasn't exactly pleased about was the punting. That problem was seemingly fixed today as former Boise State punter James Ferguson announced on X that he will join the Ducks in the fall. The combination of Ross James and Andrew Boyle didn't do itself any favors with an average of just 33 yards per punt. Lanning seemed to be joking after the game that they may need to go in the portal for punting help. Advertisement He evidently wasn't joking. "If there's a punter out there available," he said. "We've been more consistent. They didn't show up today. That was some of the poor kicks that I've seen here." Ferguson's phone may have been ringing after that because in less than a week, he's an Oregon Duck. Punting inside Autzen Stadium since the Broncos played the Ducks last season, where Ferguson had a season-best 68-yard boot against Oregon. He'll be a senior in 2025 with just one year of eligibility remaining. In 2023, Ferguson was selected to the American Football Coaches Association All-American Second Team, the Sports Illustrated Second Team, Associated Press Third Team, the College Football News Third Team, the All-Mountain West First Team and was a Ray Guy Award Semifinalist for the best punter in the nation. Advertisement In that 2023 season, Ferguson averaged 50 yards a kick and had 23 punts go inside the 20-yard line. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions. This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Football: Ducks add special teamer via transfer portal
