Kicker hits 100 yard kickoff in air

by TigerNet Staff - Tuesday, May 17, 2011 7:29 PM

Bradley Pinion
Pos: P/PK Height: 6-6 Weight: 220 Hometown: Concord, NC (Northwest Cabarrus HS) Class: 2012

ESPN:		Rivals:		Scout:		24/7:
#3 K, #17 NC, 79 Grade		#4 K		#6 K		#1 P, #42 NC, Grade 80

According to Jamie Kohl of ESPN:

Bradley Pinion Bradley Pinion
Punter / Kicker
6-4, 210
Concord, NC
View Full Profile has impressed the Kohl's kicking staff for years, but he did something during the Southern Showcase no one had ever seen before.

The 6-foot-6, 220-pound punter from Northwest Cabarrus HS in Concord, N.C., hit a kickoff that went 100 yards in the air with 4.4 seconds of hangtime.

His blast was such a freak of nature it literally stopped camp and had everyone, including the snappers, looking up and seeing a ball that was moving higher and faster than anything they had ever seen.

We had always felt Pinion had some great natural tools to work with, but no one knew the ESPNU 150 Watch List prospect was capable of a kickoff like that.

I have been around roughly 45 NFL kickers and 1000 college kickers in my playing and coaching career. I have seen some big kickoffs at camps and in games. I have seen multiple guys kickoff 90 yards with conditions and winds like they were on Sunday, but I have never seen a high school kicker kick off over 90 yards, let alone kick a ball 100 yards in the air -- no matter how windy the day was.

Pinion averaged 39.7 yards per punt as a sophomore in 2009. He kicked 17 punts inside the 20-yard line. Class of 2012 ESPNU 150 Watch List Recruit. Clemson is interested in Pinion but has not offered yet.