Hokies’ punter a big man on campus

By Nate Crossman  |   Sunday, May 14, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Virginia Tech Hokies
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Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing somewhere north of 270 pounds, Virginia Tech's Nic Schmitt looks like an offensive lineman, or maybe a nose guard. But he is the Hokies' punter, and a good one at that.

Schmitt was recently named to the prestigious Playboy Magazine All-America football team, joining former Hokies Jimmy Williams, Kevin Jones, Lee Suggs, Michael Vick, Bruce Smith, Frank Loria and head coach Frank Beamer. Schmitt was a Ray Guy Award semifinalist last season after averaging 43.2 yards per punt, booming 12 punts over 50 yards, including a season-long of 65, and dropping 15 inside the 20.

The redshirt senior has always been something of an anomaly. During his senior year at nearby Salem (VA) High, he played both defensive back and receiver, in addition to kicking and punting. When he arrived in Blacksburg, he kicked and punted, and was forced into action as a placekicker as a true freshman when starter Carter Warley went down with a back injury. Schmitt connected on 14 of 14 extra points but hit only 2 of 6 field goals. He redshirted his second year to concentrate on punting, and backed up Vinnie Burns in 2004.

Although his numbers on the field are impressive, his numbers in the weight room are what really grabs your attention. One does not expect the punter to be one of the strongest players on the team, but Schmitt is, with a bench press of 400 pounds and a squat of over 600. Not only is he one of the strongest players on the team, he's set several program records.

Schmitt was one of 10 semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award, given to the top punter in Division I-A. Five of the semifinalists were underclassmen, so Schmitt has a good chance of being a finalist this time around. But even if isn't named the best, he can always lay claim to being the biggest, if not the strongest.

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