Congrats to '15 commit P Tommy Townsend!

[TheCubster]

My son is at the FBU Top Gun camp in Ohio and today UT commit Tommy Townsend won the punting competition. This gave him one of the spots in this years US Army All American Game. My wife snapped this pic just after his winning kick.

 

[jspvol76]

Good stuff, thanks for posting! Congrats to Tommy!

 

[Volunteer_Kirby]

Good post! Thanks for sharing. He sounds like a clutch kicker.

 

[volroadwarrior]

Good stuff, thanks for posting! Congrats to Tommy!

It's great to get our future punter in the Army AA Game. Many questioned that Butch used a scholly on kickers and long snappers, but changing field position can help win a lot of games. It is comforting to know that emphasis is finally being placed on special teams and the impact they can have on the season.

 

[ManningBerry#1]

Good.

 

[KBVol]

Let's see..... regarding our special teams in 2015...

1. Top place kicker in 2013? Aaron Medley....check

2. Top punter in 2014? Tommy Townsend...check

3. Top 5 long snapper in 2014? Riley Lovingood....check

4. Top return specialist in 2013? Vic Wharton....check

 

[plowboy689]

Hey my nephew is at that camp.I will have to get some info.

 

[Vols4us]

Let's see..... regarding our special teams in 2015...

1. Top place kicker in 2013? Aaron Medley....check

2. Top punter in 2014? Tommy Townsend...check

3. Top 5 long snapper in 2014? Riley Lovingood....check

4. Top return specialist in 2013? Vic Wharton....check

And we have many posters on VN griping and whining that #1-3 will be on scholarship. #4 is as well of course. but they see him as a regular player. They have no concept of the importance of having the best you can get in the kicking game.

 

[FirstAndGoal]

This is excellent. Butch is assembling the complete package. :rock:

 

[TheCubster]

And we have many posters on VN griping and whining that #1-3 will be on scholarship. #4 is as well of course. but they see him as a regular player. They have no concept of the importance of having the best you can get in the kicking game.

I always find it funny how people gripe about "wasting" a scholarship on kickers and snappers, but how many games are lost because of a bad snap or bad field position? The great Coach Neyland had 7 keys to winning, and two of them involve the kicking game.
4. Protect our kickers, our QB, our lead and our ball game.
6. Press the kicking game. Here is where the breaks are made.
Maybe we should listen to him.

 

[engineerVOL]

This is awesome!

 

[smashmouth98]

great pic

 

[majorvol]

Welcome Tommy and congrats.

 

[Volumnus 2011]

TT's gonna help us kick the crap out of people

 

[VOLINVONORE]

And we have many posters on VN griping and whining that #1-3 will be on scholarship. #4 is as well of course. but they see him as a regular player. They have no concept of the importance of having the best you can get in the kicking game.

Goog special teams, kickers, punters help win games. Bad special teams, kickers, punter LOSE games. I would rather win than lose. Well use of scholarships.

 

[ItsAllVols]

Does he play Basketball, looks to have a nice vertical.

 

[LebanonVolunteer]

And we have many posters on VN griping and whining that #1-3 will be on scholarship. #4 is as well of course. but they see him as a regular player. They have no concept of the importance of having the best you can get in the kicking game.

If you can sign difference makers on special teams, IMO you do it. With 85 scholarships, obviously not all 85 are difference makers which to me makes sense to take a few more walk-ons as your 12th, 13th, 14th WRs or 7th, 8th RBs and use those scholarships for kids who will make an impact on SEC game days.

 

[DiderotsGhost]

I'm a big fan of Butch's focus on special teams, as well. Take a look at Virginia Tech under Frank Beamer, and you could probably credit, on average, at least 1-2 of VT's wins per year over the past two decades to special teams.

Even back when UT was good in the Fulmer years, I can recall being constantly frustrated with our special teams play. If VT was winning an extra game or two every season with special teams, it sometimes seemed like we were losing at least one game per year because of dismal special teams play.

 

[gunner]

Let's see..... regarding our special teams in 2015...

1. Top place kicker in 2013? Aaron Medley....check

2. Top punter in 2014? Tommy Townsend...check

3. Top 5 long snapper in 2014? Riley Lovingood....check

4. Top return specialist in 2013? Vic Wharton....check

It sounds like some of our coaches have been reading the maxims that are posted everywhere, especially #6.

 

[sameolvol]

eace2:The biggest X factor in close football games has got to be long kickoff and punt returns and, naturally, kicking and punting the ball in a manner that will prevent those back breaking X factors. Dismiss the X factor and I can guarantee games will be lost. 'Glad to have you, Tommy!

 

[P.O.T.S. VOL]

Promised I would never do this...but...isn't he too tall?

 

[kmkemp11]

Everyone knows that special teams are important... don't be dense. The arguments against giving scholarships to long snappers and/or punters is simply that

1) the difference in quality between a walk-on and scholarship player at those positions is negligible compared to other positions and
2) sure a punt or bad snap can lose a game... but so can a missed block, dropped pass, etc etc

It's not cut and dry. I *might* use a scholarship on a punter provided he was good enough, but I don't see any reason to waste one on a long snapper.

 

[VolsDoc81TX]

It's great to get our future punter in the Army AA Game. Many questioned that Butch used a scholly on kickers and long snappers, but changing field position can help win a lot of games. It is comforting to know that emphasis is finally being placed on special teams and the impact they can have on the season.

General Neyland approves this message :salute:

 

[VolsDoc81TX]

Let's see..... regarding our special teams in 2015...

1. Top place kicker in 2013? Aaron Medley....check

2. Top punter in 2014? Tommy Townsend...check

3. Top 5 long snapper in 2014? Riley Lovingood....check

4. Top return specialist in 2013? Vic Wharton....check

5. Top kicker 2017...volatil jr. ...check

Fify

 

[ToptheTerrible]

I always find it funny how people gripe about "wasting" a scholarship on kickers and snappers, but how many games are lost because of a bad snap or bad field position? The great Coach Neyland had 7 keys to winning, and two of them involve the kicking game.
4. Protect our kickers, our QB, our lead and our ball game.
6. Press the kicking game. Here is where the breaks are made.
Maybe we should listen to him.

Agree. All you need to do is go back to last year to see just how important Palardy was to this team.