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TigerNet Elite [69970]
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Speaking of Clemson punting...
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Jan 5, 2023, 11:55 AM
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Who is arguably the best punter in Clemson history? I'd say Dale Hatcher who was a second-team All-American and ranked No. 20 in the country in net punting his senior year. He averaged over 40 yards per punt in each of his four seasons at Clemson, and still holds the Clemson single-season punt average record with 42.4 yards. He also led the NFL in punting his rookie year (1985).
What say ye?
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Tiger Spirit [9451]
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Re: Speaking of Clemson punting...
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Jan 5, 2023, 12:27 PM
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I remember sitting down low in section GG in the early 80's when I was a student and watching him punt. I had never seen, nor have I ever seen anyone punt the ball as high and far as Hatcher. The ball sounded like a gunshot when it came off his foot. He also hit the roof of the superdome in 1981.
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CU Medallion [18533]
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Chris Gardocki
Jan 5, 2023, 12:42 PM
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and Hatcher probably our two best. Hard to choose between those two. Any preference is probably who you saw play more.
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Orange Beast [6153]
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Dale Hatcher was great, but he also denied me a postgame autograph when I was a kid
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Jan 5, 2023, 1:15 PM
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Ill go with Gardocki or Pinion.
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Freshman [3]
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Re: Dale Hatcher was great, but he also denied me a postgame autograph when I was a kid
Jan 5, 2023, 2:17 PM
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When while I was at Clemson in the early 60’s we had a great punter named Eddie Werntz. Eddie was a running back and punter in high school in Savannah. The punter we had was not very good. A fellow from Savannah told Coach Howard about Ernie. Coach asked about his high school and they would take a look at him when recruiting next year. The fellow replied you don’t have to wait he is enrolled at Clemson. Coach Howard had him come for a tryout. He was so impressed he offered him a scholarship as punter and running back. Eddie told him he only wanted to punt. Coach told Eddie that since he didn’t want to play both positions he would only give him a half scholarship. Eddie became a phenomenal punter and was the leading punter in the ACC and I think he was recognized in the national statistics. Coach Howard gave him a scholarship because of his punting ability. There is a piece about Ernie in Coach Howard’s own words in the Tigernet archives.
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Freshman [3]
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Re: Dale Hatcher was great, but he also denied me a postgame autograph when I was a kid
Jan 5, 2023, 2:17 PM
[ in reply to Dale Hatcher was great, but he also denied me a postgame autograph when I was a kid ] |
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When while I was at Clemson in the early 60’s we had a great punter named Eddie Werntz. Eddie was a running back and punter in high school in Savannah. The punter we had was not very good. A fellow from Savannah told Coach Howard about Ernie. Coach asked about his high school and they would take a look at him when recruiting next year. The fellow replied you don’t have to wait he is enrolled at Clemson. Coach Howard had him come for a tryout. He was so impressed he offered him a scholarship as punter and running back. Eddie told him he only wanted to punt. Coach told Eddie that since he didn’t want to play both positions he would only give him a half scholarship. Eddie became a phenomenal punter and was the leading punter in the ACC and I think he was recognized in the national statistics. Coach Howard gave him a scholarship because of his punting ability. There is a piece about Ernie in Coach Howard’s own words in the Tigernet archives.
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Heisman Winner [86953]
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I saw, in person, what was the longest punt in Clemson
Jan 5, 2023, 1:30 PM
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history. I doubt if it has been eclipsed yet. It was by a punter named Mitch Tyner, and happened against Texas A&M in 1973 in the Valley. We punted from our own 19 yard line, on our first possession of the game. Tyner hit a beautiful spiral that just kept climbing into the afternoon sky, over the potential returner's head. And then, once it hit the ground, it just kept tumbling and tumbling, all the way into the Aggie end zone. EIGHTY ONE YARDS, NO RETURN. Of course, it only netted out at 61 yards.
Unfortunately, the rest of the game did not go so well. A&M running back Bubba Bean had a Heisman type day, gashing the Tiger defense for 204 yards on the way to A&M's 30-15 win.
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