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Iowa State University Athletics
Older, Wiser Lenz Makes Quick Decisions
11.03.2010 | Football
AMES, Iowa ? Quick decisions under dangerous circumstances are part of the daily grind for a punt returner. A chance to be a hero doesn't come often, but on Saturday Iowa State football player Josh Lenz got one.
With just 4:42 left to play in the second quarter against Kansas, Lenz stepped into the backfield to receive a kick from Jayhawk punter Alonso Rojas. Rojas punted the ball 49 yards to the Iowa State 38-yard-line and as the ball dangled in the air, the sophomore kick returner had just over four seconds to make up his mind. His first thought was to call for a fair catch, which meant he had about two more seconds to make a decision ? he chose to go for it.
“It's about being able to judge the ball, the height and the distance,” Lenz said. “[Iowa State head football coach Paul Rhoads] always talks about not being a hero. If it's not returnable, just get the fair catch and get the ball to our offense and have them go down and get to the end zones.”
After the catch Lenz broke the first Jayhawk tackle attempt, made a move around the next defender and with the help of his teammates, broke free up the left sideline. As Lenz neared the end zone the 6-footer raised his right hand in celebration and hoped he had enough left in the tank to get across the goal line.
“Coach Rhoads talked about how everyone had a great effort on that play and they really did,” Lenz said. “A lot of guys played all the way until the end and set up blocks and I just got to the sideline and hoped I had enough gas to get to the end zone.”
Although Lenz got a chance to see the bright side of being a kick returner, the perks don't come often. Facing the decision to catch a punt or let it fly sometimes mean there isn't a good choice. Along with that, having 11 players sprinting at you head on isn't always the most reassuring situation in which to find yourself.
“The punts that are in between you just have to have faith in your blockers that they're going to set you up and give you a chance to return those,” Lenz said.
For Lenz, the punt return against Kansas was the longest of his career. For Iowa State, his return meant a giant momentum shift, as the touchdown gave the Cyclones a 7-6 lead. Prior to the return, Kansas had scored two field goals, and the Cyclones had been unsuccessful offensively.
“The punt return was important because it leveled the game off,” Rhoads said. “It took their momentum away and helped ease our mind and allowed us to realize that we were still in the ball game and didn't need to be intimidated.”
In the last year, Lenz has shown improvements on the field and at practice. Rhoads said Lenz has showed maturity which has helped him perform better at practice. The 20-year-old says he feels much more confident than he did as a freshman.
“He got his first touchdown of his career early in the year and now he's gotten two more since,” Rhoads said. “He's growing and developing as a player which is very important to our program.”
Lenz plays the wide receiver position when he isn't receiving punts and has a total of 104 yards on nine receptions this season. Along with the touchdown against Kansas, Lenz scored on Oct. 23 against Texas and had a similar reception for a touchdown in Iowa State's victory over Texas Tech on Oct. 2.
“I've just gotten more confident, knowing all the plays and then going out there and being able to compete not just at one position,” Lenz said. “Just having that confidence to know you can go out there without making mistakes and not having to worry about that stuff is helpful.”
Lenz' confidence on Saturday made him the first Cyclone to return a punt for a touchdown since Ryan Baum made a 65-yard return on Sept. 30, 2006 against Northern Iowa.
Lenz didn't always think he'd end up returning punts for Iowa State. The Dubuque, Iowa native spent his high school career playing on an AAU basketball team in hopes of playing at the collegiate level. It wasn't until he participated in an ISU football camp that he considered playing in a college football uniform.
Just two short weeks after the camp Lenz got an offer, and made the decision to become part of the Cyclone family. His hand-eye coordination and ability to see the basketball court carried over into his ability to see the football field ? a key aspect in the success of any kick returner.
“He's got a knack,” Rhoads said. “I think a great returner is always a little bit intuitive of what he needs to do. Lenz isn't overly flashy, but he can make people miss as he showed Saturday and he's fairly intuitive on what hole he should take.”
Although Lenz is more confident, he isn't overconfident or flashy like his favorite NFL player - Kansas City Chief Dexter McCluster. Against the Jayhawks, though, Lenz showed some McCluster-like moves that left Jayhawk players wondering what just happened.
With just 4:42 left to play in the second quarter against Kansas, Lenz stepped into the backfield to receive a kick from Jayhawk punter Alonso Rojas. Rojas punted the ball 49 yards to the Iowa State 38-yard-line and as the ball dangled in the air, the sophomore kick returner had just over four seconds to make up his mind. His first thought was to call for a fair catch, which meant he had about two more seconds to make a decision ? he chose to go for it.
“It's about being able to judge the ball, the height and the distance,” Lenz said. “[Iowa State head football coach Paul Rhoads] always talks about not being a hero. If it's not returnable, just get the fair catch and get the ball to our offense and have them go down and get to the end zones.”
After the catch Lenz broke the first Jayhawk tackle attempt, made a move around the next defender and with the help of his teammates, broke free up the left sideline. As Lenz neared the end zone the 6-footer raised his right hand in celebration and hoped he had enough left in the tank to get across the goal line.
“Coach Rhoads talked about how everyone had a great effort on that play and they really did,” Lenz said. “A lot of guys played all the way until the end and set up blocks and I just got to the sideline and hoped I had enough gas to get to the end zone.”
Although Lenz got a chance to see the bright side of being a kick returner, the perks don't come often. Facing the decision to catch a punt or let it fly sometimes mean there isn't a good choice. Along with that, having 11 players sprinting at you head on isn't always the most reassuring situation in which to find yourself.
“The punts that are in between you just have to have faith in your blockers that they're going to set you up and give you a chance to return those,” Lenz said.
For Lenz, the punt return against Kansas was the longest of his career. For Iowa State, his return meant a giant momentum shift, as the touchdown gave the Cyclones a 7-6 lead. Prior to the return, Kansas had scored two field goals, and the Cyclones had been unsuccessful offensively.
“The punt return was important because it leveled the game off,” Rhoads said. “It took their momentum away and helped ease our mind and allowed us to realize that we were still in the ball game and didn't need to be intimidated.”
In the last year, Lenz has shown improvements on the field and at practice. Rhoads said Lenz has showed maturity which has helped him perform better at practice. The 20-year-old says he feels much more confident than he did as a freshman.
“He got his first touchdown of his career early in the year and now he's gotten two more since,” Rhoads said. “He's growing and developing as a player which is very important to our program.”
Lenz plays the wide receiver position when he isn't receiving punts and has a total of 104 yards on nine receptions this season. Along with the touchdown against Kansas, Lenz scored on Oct. 23 against Texas and had a similar reception for a touchdown in Iowa State's victory over Texas Tech on Oct. 2.
“I've just gotten more confident, knowing all the plays and then going out there and being able to compete not just at one position,” Lenz said. “Just having that confidence to know you can go out there without making mistakes and not having to worry about that stuff is helpful.”
Lenz' confidence on Saturday made him the first Cyclone to return a punt for a touchdown since Ryan Baum made a 65-yard return on Sept. 30, 2006 against Northern Iowa.
Lenz didn't always think he'd end up returning punts for Iowa State. The Dubuque, Iowa native spent his high school career playing on an AAU basketball team in hopes of playing at the collegiate level. It wasn't until he participated in an ISU football camp that he considered playing in a college football uniform.
Just two short weeks after the camp Lenz got an offer, and made the decision to become part of the Cyclone family. His hand-eye coordination and ability to see the basketball court carried over into his ability to see the football field ? a key aspect in the success of any kick returner.
“He's got a knack,” Rhoads said. “I think a great returner is always a little bit intuitive of what he needs to do. Lenz isn't overly flashy, but he can make people miss as he showed Saturday and he's fairly intuitive on what hole he should take.”
Although Lenz is more confident, he isn't overconfident or flashy like his favorite NFL player - Kansas City Chief Dexter McCluster. Against the Jayhawks, though, Lenz showed some McCluster-like moves that left Jayhawk players wondering what just happened.
Saturday, October 03
Saturday, October 03
Thursday, October 01
Tuesday, September 29
