TERRE HAUTE —
A.J. Hughes knew he was in for a battle as he competed with three other walk-on punters in the preseason for the lone starting job on the Virginia Tech football team.
The freshman from Terre Haute North survived the ordeal and was the only person to punt for the Hokies this year, with 79 kicks for a 40.6-yard average. He had a long punt of 57 yards, had three for touchbacks, 18 fair catches, 22 downed inside the 20 and 15 of more than 50 yards.
Hughes culminated his first collegiate season by punting a whopping 11 times last month in VT’s 13-10 overtime win over Rutgers in the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando, Fla., the most times anyone has ever punted in a game in the illustrious career of legendary coach Frank Beamer.
He learned far more from the preseason competition than just the knowledge that he could punt a football a long way.
“The tryout thing was a battle,” Hughes said. “It was hard, and a learning experience. I faced a lot of adversity.
“I’m fortunate I came out on top, and the whole process made a man out of me,” he said. “I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I’m glad for the opportunity I was given, and it made me learn how to work.”
Hughes is an outgoing, fun-loving guy who could be seen last winter as a member of North’s “Woelf Pack,” wearing outlandish theme costumes, leading cheers to annoy basketball opponents and doing flips.
Predictably, the massive crowds the Hokies performed before didn’t faze him much.
“It was quite the transition in terms of environment,” Hughes said. “Going from playing at North with a few hundred people in the stands, then our home games at Blacksburg and going to Death Valley [Clemson], Florida State or Georgia Tech — those places are all crazy.”
Hughes admits to being nervous for only the first two punts of the year, which came on Labor Day against Georgia Tech.
“After that, I really focused in,” he said, “and tried to take care of my job. I like the big stage — I’m kind of a showoff — and it helps me to do better. The whole season was a great experience, the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.”
Hughes is happy with his performance, but still yearns to do even better.
“It was about average,” he said. “I’m happy with it overall. I wanted to get through the year with a 40-plus average and get a scholarship, and I was able to accomplish both of those goals.”
He will be working hard this spring to get his strength up, doing a lot of elliptical lifts and box jumps, with the focus not as much on length of punts but hang time.
“I’m really a situational punter,” he said. “The big thing is hang time and keeping the ball up high. I hit 5.0 [seconds of] hang time maybe once or twice this year, but that’s been struggling.
“The key to improving is really more about technique than strength, and explosion is the main thing.”
His story should sound a little familiar — free-spirited former Terre Haute North punter and track star turned big-time college football player. Lot of Steve Weatherford similarities there.
“Steve and Pat McAfee [of the Indianapolis Colts] have both been great advocates of my career,” Hughes said, noting lessons learned at the summer camp that Weatherford operates once each year in Terre Haute. “I didn’t get to talk to Steve much this season, except through social media, but I talked to his brother [Scott, of Eastern Illinois] a lot and he was also a big help.”
There are also some differences. Hughes did not call any of his own fake punts this season, as Weatherford has been known to do, and he kicks with his left foot, unlike the New York Giants’ star.
Being left-footed has its advantages.
“It gives the ball a different kind of spin,” he said, “and it’s harder for the return men to catch. The New England Patriots only sign left-footed punters.”
The obvious question — if the NFL is the eventual goal for Hughes — got the equally obvious answer.
“Of course,” he said. “I still have a lot of improving to do and a lot of work to get done here. We’ll worry about that later.”
Hughes was credited by the Virginia Tech stat crew with four tackles this year — “Really?” he said. “I didn’t think I had any” — and had an unfortunate experience in a game at Clemson when a snap sailed over his head and caused a scramble.
“I didn’t really freak out when that happened,” he said, “and I actually got off a pretty good rugby-style punt before I got rocked. It hurt pretty bad when I got hit.”
Hughes is proud of the fact that none of his punts was returned for a touchdown this year, and credits his coverage team with doing a great job in both reducing returns and downing punts deep in enemy territory.
It wasn’t hard for him to pick out several special moments from the past season, all of which came on the same night.
“It would have to be running out of the tunnel my first game on national TV against Georgia Tech, and my best friend [Cody Journell] kicking the tying and winning field goals,” he said. “We had a huge celebration and it was a blast.
“My family was all there, and it was one of the best moments of my life so far.”
Stay tuned, though. This story has just begun.
Joey Bennett is a former Tribune-Star sports reporter and copy editor who now teaches at Northview High School in Brazil. He can be reached at tribstarcollegereport@yahoo.com.
College Report
COLLEGE REPORT: North grad Hughes finds success after facing preseason adversity
- College Report
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Catching up as the school year winds down
Odds and ends from here and there as the school year quickly winds down. For starters, high jumper Nick Jaeger of Terre Haute South was named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference’s male track & field newcomer of the year:
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College Report: Lively earned collegiate upgrade with strong play
Hillary Lively signed to play Division II basketball at Maryville (Mo.) during her senior year at North Vermillion, but those plans changed and she would up at nearby Danville Area Community College — where she recently concluded an outstanding two-year career.
Lively was impressive enough to earn a Division I scholarship to Southeast Missouri State of the Ohio Valley Conference, and both her future and past college coaches think she will continue to succeed there.
“She fits what we need,” SEMO coach Ty Margenthaler said. “She has college experience, she is strong and physical and plays well around the basket and moves well.
“Her strength, rebounding and touch around the basket will be a big help. On the defensive end, she’ll be able to guard a true center.” -
COLLEGE REPORT: Valley prep athletes getting ready for next level
The NCAA “regular” signing period begins Wednesday for all sports except football, field hockey, soccer, track and field, cross country and men’s water polo.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Conferences honor Valley softball players
Several Wabash Valley area college softball players have been honored by their respective conferences for outstanding play this spring.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Jake Newton makes big impact for Lincoln Trail College
Jake Newton had a long time between playing in competitive basketball games, a span of about 18 months, and used the frustration from that long dry spell to produce a stellar freshman season for Lincoln Trail College this winter.
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COLLEGE REPORT: A.J. Reed earns SEC Player of the Week honors
After belting three home runs during a five games last week, Kentucky sophomore left-handed pitcher/first baseman A.J. Reed was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Week.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Spring newcomers making marks
Several freshman baseball and softball NCAA Division I players from the Wabash Valley have already made immediate impacts at their new schools, while others are waiting for their turns to shine.
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COLLEGE REPORT: A.J. Reed named third-team preseason baseball All-American
Two-way sophomore standout A.J. Reed was one of three University of Kentucky players named third-team preseason All-America by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Sponsler honored after big week for Wabash men's hoops
Wabash College freshman Ross Sponsler of Terre Haute North was named the North Coast Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 6.
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COLLEGE REPORT: North grad Hughes finds success after facing preseason adversity
A.J. Hughes knew he was in for a battle as he competed with three other walk-on punters in the preseason for the lone starting job on the Virginia Tech football team.
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Etling, Meggs enjoying great year
It’s been a great year so far with more to come for a pair of longtime friends and St. Patrick’s School classmates.
Former Terre Haute resident Jack Meggs quarterbacked the Bellevue Wolverines football team to the Washington Class 3A state championship this fall, culminating with a 35-3 win over Sammamish Eastside Catholic — Bellevue’s fifth straight crown.
Danny Etling, meanwhile, has completed graduation requirements at Terre Haute South and is preparing for an upcoming high school all-star game and his first college classes in a couple of weeks. -
COLLEGE REPORT: Valley’s women’s college hoops players start strong
Several women’s college basketball players from the Wabash Valley have gotten off to good starts this season on the hardwood. Highlights:
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COLLEGE REPORT: Mayhew, Mascari provide fall highlights
Several dozen Wabash Valley athletes enjoyed successful fall seasons collegiately in cross country and tennis this year. -
COLLEGE REPORT: Former North teammates start strong in college
Former Terre Haute North teammates Ross Sponsler and Matt O’Leary made their college basketball debuts last week and had outstanding initial performances. -
COLLEGE REPORT: Shoemaker OBP leads Chisox farmhands
Former Indiana State, Olney Central and Northview baseball standout Brady Shoemaker opened a lot of eyes last summer in the Chicago White Sox farm system, earning him a spot on a mlb.com blog team that highlighted the team’s outstanding minor leaguers at each position.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Boeglin has plenty of ISU memories, but not all are related to basketball
Melanie Boeglin, an All-American who played on the women’s basketball team at Indiana State from 2002-2006, will be inducted into the 21st class of the Indiana State University Athletics Hall of Fame on Thursday.
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COLLEGE REPORT: North grad leading DePauw volleyball in winning streak
DePauw’s volleyball team has won seven straight matches entering this weekend’s DePauw Invitational, including four straight wins last weekend to capture the Rose-Hulman invitational title.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Engle moving up football coaching ranks
Michael Engle graduated from DePauw University in the spring of 2011 with a degree in political science and future plans to advance his studies in law school.
Being a coach’s son and a competitive athlete by nature, Engle has put those plans on hold for now. -
COLLEGE REPORT: From Terre Haute South to Division I competition to coaching careers
Adriane Wunderlich and Katelyn Bishop both turned stellar high school careers at Terre Haute South into Division I collegiate careers at Indiana State and Southern California, respectively.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Former prep athletes getting ready for fall college season
An impressive total of at least 122 Wabash Valley athletes and coaches will be competing collegiately for the first time during the upcoming school year or have changed schools to continue their careers.
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COLLEGE REPORT: SP’s Boetjer is Indiana’s Miss Softball
South Putnam’s Brooke Boetjer, who will be a freshman on the Indiana University softball team next spring, was named the 2012 Indiana Miss Softball last month between games at the North/South All-Star games in Carmel.
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College report: North grad Mayhew is second team all-American at IU
Indiana University running standout Zach Mayhew of Terre Haute North was honored earlier this month as a second-team All-American by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
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College report: Bloomfield runner to join IUPUI track, cross country teams
Bloomfield track/cross country standout Julie Riggins will be joining the developing IUPUI program next fall as one of six incoming recruits.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Roberts takes coaching position at UNC-Greensboro
Terre Haute native Mike Roberts is continuing his climb up the college basketball coaching ladder, recently departing Rice for a spot as the associate head coach at North Carolina-Greensboro.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Valley grads playing role for No. 13 Vincennes
A few springtime odds and ends:
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COLLEGE REPORT: Shouse making his mark for Danville Community College
Derek Shouse definitely flew under the radar in his one season of playing for the Terre Haute South boys basketball team last winter.
Not highly recruited, he made his way to Danville Area Community College as a walk-on with the hopes he could find his way onto the court at some point. -
COLLEGE REPORT: Bullock finds sunny home to continue tennis career
Most college athletes progress along similar paths to get to their final destinations athletically, but Terre Haute South grad Taylor Bullock’s route to the Eckerd College women’s tennis team was a little different than most.
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COLLEGE REPORT: TH South QB entertains Division I offers
Danny Etling’s trek to being a big-time college quarterback took a huge step this week when the Terre Haute South junior picked up a scholarship offer from Purdue, according to 247sports.com.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Seibert stepping up her game
Terre Haute South grad Haley Seibert has seen the usual ups and downs of her freshman basketball season at Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne and is making the most of her opportunities this season.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Vikings Waters, Barton excited about college basketball
West Vigo grad Lauren Dailey helped the Lady Vikings basketball program to a lot of success at the end of the 1990s, and went on to play for Eastern Illinois from 2001-2004.
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