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Iowa State University Athletics
Iowa State Punter Mike Brandtner Interview/Got Help From Former ISU Kicker Jamie Kohl
08.11.2006 | Football
AMES, Iowa
When did you start punting?
“I started punting my junior year in high school. I had always been the guy who filled the position of punter, but I never really focused on just punting until my junior year. I then was the starting punter both my junior and senior seasons of high school.”
Tell me about the recruiting process.
“I started getting looked at my junior season by ISU, Iowa, and UNI mainly. Then I started receiving letters from Northern Illinois and North Carolina State, but I knew that I wanted to stay in state somewhere.”
So how did you end up at Iowa State?
“Best opportunity. Coach Mac and all of the other coaches are all great and told me that if I were to come in, with (Troy) Blankenship and (Tony) Yelk both being seniors, the job was mine for the taking.”
Tell me about the indoor facility. Can you truly let it all hang out in there?
“It is kind of tough to because they tell you to try not to hit the roof, but it happens and it is probably better if you do hit it because it means that you are doing your job and it would be a good punt.”
In high school did you play any other positions?
“Yes. My sophomore year I was on the team playing cornerback and safety. So I played for three years there at Davenport Assumption.”
Jack Trice (Stadium) is somewhat known for being a punter's nightmare due to the different directions the wind blows. Is there an art to kicking into that wind?
“You just have to drop the ball lower and follow through more. Yelk and Blankenship taught me a lot about that and so did (former Iowa State placekicker) Jamie Kohl, whom I worked with this past summer. It is all about technique. You just have to drive the ball harder, kind of like golf.”
When they talk to you about hang time, what do they tell you?
“When you think about it, any guy on our team that is an outside gunner will run a 4.5 40-meter dash and below, so if I can keep the ball in the air for 3 or 4 or 5 seconds (the opponent) won't get a very good return. So, if I kick it anywhere from 35 to 45 yards it about evens itself out. Hang time is actually one of the most important things.”
What do you do in the off-season?
“It is good to take a break for a while, because I know once I get here that I'll be kicking everyday and my leg gets sore. But I went to a lot of camps this summer and did a lot of running to stay in shape.”
Talk about these camps.
“I went to one in Whitewater, Wis. with Jamie Kohl. It was Kohl's Kicking Camp and there were kickers from Minnesota and Pittsburgh and other various places. It was all college kids and some incoming freshman, one was going to Central Michigan and one to Valparaiso, and we just all competed at this camp.”
Did you ever fake punt in high school?
“Yes, we ran a fake punt because the other team rushed the end and I just ran out and took it and got the first down. We also did a quick kick on a third and long where I would come in motion from my wide receiver position and they would snap it to the quarterback who would pitch it to me and I'd kick it right away to try and catch people off guard.”
On average, how many punts do you do a day?
“The other day I had about 40, but usually I like to kick anywhere between 25 or 30 balls a day and that is good.”
What is your impression of the team so far?
“We are looking great. Our offense is really good. We have one of the best quarterbacks in the nation and great receivers. Our line is real big and our defense is real fast. Everyone is real fast on defense and even though that is everyone's big question mark, they are playing real well right now.”
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