Punters are like politicians. They’re vitally important. They do a lot for their organization or group, but people don’t notice them until they mess up.
There are a select few of us who have made it our mission to let the world know punters aren’t just pieces, they’re people, too. Shelton Wooley, a junior graphic design major from Ruston, La., has taken up this mantle for Ouachita by not only being the team’s punter, but also being one of the most beloved players on the team. Challenging norms, both with his popularity and his punting distance, Wooley is a special player.
Wooley has loved the special teams aspect of the game since he was young. Most players grow up wanting to be the hotshot, gunslinger quarterback, but Wooley has always been a little different.
“Kicking and punting to me has always been the most fascinating part of the game, even at a young age I would say, ‘Wow, I want to do that.’ I played flag football at a young age, I don’t even really remember, but I started playing tackle football when I was 10. Obviously there wasn’t an emphasis on the kicking game at that young of an age, but I still kicked at home with my dad in the backyard. My dad has been a football coach even before I was born, so you could say I was born into it. I always had a ball in my hand from day one. My kicking days started when I was about 5 or 6, with a little plastic football [that] cheerleaders throw out at halftime of high school games and a paint can top as my tee,” Wooley said.
Punting is an art form. Although only on the field for a few moments each game, launching a ball 40 yards with your big toe is harder than most give it credit for. Wooley has always had a knack for being able to handle it, as can be seen with both his long distance punts and his perfectly placed “coffin-corner” kicks. In high school, he started to get offers to play in college, and that was when he realized this was something he could see himself diving into for a long time.
“As I got older (middle school and high school), I began to have that goal to play college football or baseball. Football was my main favorite though, because I felt like I would enjoy it a little more than baseball. Ouachita was one of the first schools to recruit me in high school. I had other offers, but Ouachita seemed like a great place to get the education I needed along with getting playing time on the field. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Wooley said.
As a punter, you’re in an interesting position. You want to punt well and show off your skills by getting on the field, but if you’re on the field, it means your offense was stopped before scoring. Punters accept the fact that if they don’t get playing time, it means the team is on fire. They get to be encouragers. Punters get the ultimate win-win situation in that case: either the team is winning, or, like Wooley, they’re on the field knocking 50 yard bombs down field. Wooley says his love for this great game has only grown as he’s gone along.
“Other than the muffin top I have acquired through [the] years from my terrible eating habits when I was younger catching up to me, the only thing that’s really changed is my love for the game. Everyday there’s a reason to get better not just for me, but for my teammates. Stats and personal accolades are great, but at the end of the day, the team comes first, and the encouragement and support for my brothers on the field are so much more important than me,” Wooley said.
Wooley stands as one of the best punters in the GAC the last few years. Last year, the only thing that stood between him and Punter of the Year was the Tigers falling just a few games short of the conference title. Even though he has so much talent, he has stayed humble.
“You always get a cliché answer to this question, so I’m going to be as honest as I can. Football has taught me a lot of skills, and it’s no coincidence that people always talk about character building and attitude and integrity when talking about the outcome of years of football, and while I’ve definitely received those things beyond a doubt, football has given me so much more. The people I have met through football, the connections I have, the fans I’ve met and the kids I’ve been able to influence through this great game [are] way more than anything I could have ever done without football. I am forever grateful and humbled to be in a position where I am supported and encouraged by teammates, friends and family. I think that’s what has made me who I am today and who I will be for the rest of my life, even after football,” Wooley said.
Wooley’s career average of 43 yards a punt, as well as his longest punt of the season, an incredible 62-yard shot into space, puts him on par with where current Miami Dolphins punter Matt Darr stood his senior season at the University of Tennessee before being drafted by the NFL franchise. That alone is an impressive task.
As a special teams guy, Wooley has heard his whole life the common adage: Punters aren’t players. Like I said, Wooley doesn’t take his craft lightly, and he is very passionate about the fact that punters rightfully deserve the respect given to other players.
“Punters are people, but in all seriousness, and in fact, we’re also football players, believe it or not. We run sprints, lift weights and occasionally wear pads. But we’re a different breed: we’re specialists. I explain it like this: kicking is like golf, where a massive amount of technique and consistency is the only way to be great. Its not about brute strength and game plans, but incredible attention to detail and mental toughness. We are definitely people though,” Wooley said.
Although Ouachita’s team has faced some adversity this season, Shelton keeps his head held high.
“This season has been a struggle for the team, considering injuries have plagued us since day one, and games away from home have been our Achilles heel. But a team will face adversity, it’s inevitable. We’ve done a great job coming together and staying together already through half the season, and I can’t wait to see how we finish together,” Wooley said.
So next time you see your Cajun Compadre kicking the ball down at the Cliff, make sure to cheer. When you see Shelton and the rest of the K-Team standing on the sideline cheering on their team to victory, make sure to remember what NFL Network analyst Rich Eisen famously said, “I’m going to get a T-shirt and it’s going to say: Punters are players. Punters are people too.”
By Ian Craft, Sports Editor
