Kevin Sumlin joked that the reason he brought punter Drew Kaser to SEC Football Media Days this week is he wanted people to see him.
“I hope you don’t see him a bunch this year,” Sumlin quipped. “We had to petition to get him into (consideration for) the Ray Guy Award because we didn’t give him a lot of opportunities to punt.”
When Kaser’s talents have been on display, he has been impressive. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound junior did indeed end up as a finalist for the Ray Guy Award last season and was also named a first-team All-American by The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated. He established the school record with an average of 47.4 yards last season and also had 17 successful “coffin corners” among his 44 punts.
That’s why he was in attendance Tuesday.
“It’s an honor being here,” Kaser said. “There are not too many punters and specialists come to SEC Media Days. But it just lets me know Coach Sumlin believes in me being a leader on the team and being a voice on the team as well.”
There haven’t been many specialists on the docket for SEC Media Days. The last punter was Georgia’s Drew Butler in 2010. That was in year after he won the Ray Guy Award.
Unfortunately for the Aggies, Kaser is likely to get more opportunities this season. They lost three All-Americans off last year’s offense in quarterback Johnny Manziel, left tackle Jake Matthews and wide receiver Mike Evans.
“It comes with the position,” Kaser said of his coach not wanting to see him on the field. “But Coach Sumlin and I have a great relationship and I’m just going to do my best for him and my team whenever I’m out there.”
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