Issue date: 10/22/03 Section: USD - SDSU Game Day

Originally Created: 10/22/03 at 7:52 PM CST
Last Updated: 10/22/03 at 7:52 PM CST

Media Credit: Jon Benedict

USD punter and senior Jarrod Edelen is receiving some expert advice from former Coyote Filip Filipovic.
Filipovic, who averaged 40.1 yards per punt in his senior year at USD, kicked for the Dallas Cowboys last season.
This year, Edelen, a Vermillion native, is averaging 41.8 yards per punt and is considered one of the best punters in Division II.

What does it take to have a perfect punt?
"It all starts when the snapper gets a perfect snap back to me. I get the ball and get the laces turned so they are facing up. As I go through my steps, and once I release the ball, I notice the ball is perfectly flat and pushed out. You can feel the contact. It's perfect. You look up and see a nice spiral and the crowd cheers."

How many times has it been perfect this year?
"I have had 30 punts this year. I would probably say about 12 of them were perfect."

And the three blocks that UNO forced?
"I wasn't taking too long. It was our blocking scheme. The guys had the blocking schemes wrong. It left one guy to come up the edge all three times. And he was a really good athlete."

Is there anything you can do to stop it?
"I can try and speed it up a little bit. Ideally, you want to get them off in 2.2 seconds. In those games, I was getting them off in 1.95. Anything below that, I am kind of out of control. There is an upper limit on how fast I can get the ball off and kick it well."

What goes through your mind when the defenders break through?
"It's kind of funny. I don't see them coming. I am actually dropping the ball and swinging my leg through to kick it. They come and I see them out of the corner of my eye. By that time, it's too late to do anything. I just hope he misses it."

What did you learn from Filipovic?
"He taught me a lot about hard work. Kind of going over the repetitive motions of punting. Perfecting your drop and getting your steps down. Getting what it takes to become a great punter."

Do you still talk to him?
"He tries to give me pointers over the phone. He usually listens to the games. It is kind of fun having a mentor like that."

What has made you such a good punter?
"I think it stems from my soccer playing back in my younger age. I kind of got my leg strong in the kicking motion. I wasn't a punter in high school. I worked on punting and it came naturally. ... I would get a good punt one out of 10 times. Now I would like to say it is eight or nine out of 10."

Do you hope to be signed by an NFL team?
"(It is) definitely what I am looking forward to in the future. If the opportunity comes along, I will definitely capitalize on it. It helps that I have a friend like Filip who knows what to do."

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