In Al Golden’s eyes, Pat O’Donnell looks less like a guy who kicks footballs than a guy who kicks rear ends.
"He looks like a Sam linebacker," the Miami coach said, jokingly describing O'Donnell's body as similar to "Drago," referring to "Rocky IV's" Ivan Drago.
Next to freakish defensive ends and mammoth offensive tackles, some punters hardly look like legitimate athletes, much less fictional boxing super-villains. But O’Donnell, all 6-feet-5 and 220 pounds of him, brings some stellar athletic credentials.
O’Donnell said he runs a 4.6 40-yard dash, which is respectable for any player of his size. He even made college football writer Bruce Feldman’s annual “Top 10 Freaks” list of college football workout warriors in 2011. Feldman wrote that O’Donnell had a “355-pound bench, broad jumps 9’2” and his 10-yard split of 1.53 seconds is actually faster than the time (former Florida speedster and 2012 Olympian) Jeff Demps clocks.”
After playing at Palm Beach Central High, O’Donnell spent four years at Cincinnati before graduating and transferring home to play his final season of eligibility for the Hurricanes.
In his debut Friday night in Miami’s 34-6 win over Florida Atlantic, O’Donnell punted four times, averaging 44.8 yards. O’Donnell also kicked off seven times, placing each one inside the 3-yard line. Three went for touchbacks.
Last year’s punter, Dalton Botts, was a capable player, graduating with a 40.5 yard-per-punt average. O’Donnell’s new teammates say he’s on a different level.
“When somebody’s dropping 75-yard bombs in practice and Golden’s yelling at him to at least let the returner have a chance, it’s really amazing,” long snapper Sean McNally said. “When I’m running down to get the return, I feel like I’m running forever.”
According to UM, O’Donnell recently produced a practice punt with a 4.71-second hang time. If repeated consistently, one expert said, he might have an NFL job someday.
“If you and I could step on the field and hit 4.7s every time, we could make millions,” said Rick Sang, director of Ray Guy Kicking Academy.
O’Donnell, 22, was a first-team All-State kicker at Palm Beach Central and co-winner of the 2008 Lou Groza Award for top kicker in Palm Beach County. Coach Rod Harris said he was an outstanding athlete then, playing some linebacker and tight end in addition to kicking and punting duties.
“We’d do 70 up-downs. He’d do every one,” Harris said. “I’d say, ‘Pat, you don’t have to do that.’ He’d say ‘Yeah, but I’m part of this team.’ ”
O’Donnell was a self-described “big-time” Hurricanes fan growing up in Lake Worth. However, UM didn’t offer him a scholarship. Miami’s punter and kicker at the time was Jupiter’s Matt Bosher, the 2004 and 2005 Groza winner who now plays for the Atlanta Falcons.
The only school that offered O’Donnell a full ride was Cincinnati, and he earned every penny. He was a two-time All-Big East selection for the Bearcats, who won three Big East titles in his four years. His career average was 42.6 yards per punt. In 2011, he was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy award for the nation’s top punter, and he’s on the watch list this year.
Because he graduated, O’Donnell, who said he returned home to attend to a family matter, can play immediately at UM. That certainly pleases his coach.
“It’s a huge, huge bonus,” Golden said. “I’m so impressed with how steady he is, and the commitment to his craft that he has. He’s the same guy every day. In my mind, it’s like Tiger Woods, just banging balls every day. … Every day, it’s like the driving range for him.”
About the Author
