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Mike Lucas: Freshman Nortman gets the snap as UW punter

Mike Lucas  —  8/21/2008 7:18 am

What is the risk and reward associated with having a freshman punter? Depends on the punter.

In 1984, Scott Cepicky, a true freshman, averaged 39.5 yards per kick for the University of Wisconsin football team.

Cepicky, a prep quarterback, was an outstanding all-around athlete who also starred in baseball for the Badgers and signed a pro contract in that sport.

Cepicky was a character who earned the nickname of the "Free Spirit of St. Louis" -- a reference to his spontaneous nature and ties to the Gateway City.

Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst can vouch for Cepicky's skill and unpredictability. Chryst and Cepicky were in the same recruiting class.

Cepicky, a four-year fixture, finished with a career punting average of 41.1 yards -- which was then the best in school history.

Could he influence the outcome of a game with his kicking?

Most definitely.

In 1985, Cepicky had a major role in Wisconsin's win at Ohio State, dropping three punts inside the Buckeyes' 15-yard line.

Drop was the operative word for another freshman punter.

On his first collegiate punting attempt for the Badgers, Bob Knapp fumbled the snap and never got the punt off.

Not that it mattered.

The Badgers rallied from a first half deficit to knock off Western Illinois, 31-13, during a 1991 nonconference matchup at Camp Randall Stadium.

Upon further review, the botched punt did matter -- to Knapp, a scholarship punter from Wadsworth, Ohio.

He never got another chance to punt as a true freshman and transferred the following spring.

Knapp represented the worst-case scenario for a first-year punter. Kevin Stemke was at the other end of the food chain.

As a 19-year-old freshman, a true freshman, Stemke set a school record by averaging 43.9 yards during the 1997 season.

Stemke had the second best punting average in the Big Ten and ranked 13th nationally. And he wound up sustaining that high level of performance. He holds the school record with a career average of 43.5 yards.

Obviously, Stemke was special and raised the bar for all those who followed, including Ken DeBauche, who had a successful four-year run as the UW punter, beginning with his redshirt freshman season in 2004.

Another true freshman, Brad Nortman, will now get a chance to continue the legacy. That of Cepicky, Stemke and DeBauche.

Nortman originally gave a verbal commitment to Minnesota. But once the Badgers stepped up to the plate and offered a tender, it was a relatively simple choice.

"It would have been hard to say 'No' to a team that I've loved since before I can remember," said Nortman, who hails from Brookfield Central. "To pass up a chance to play for the Badgers would have been unthinkable."

Nortman rarely came off the field last season while starting as a linebacker and tight end.

"I've been competing in football, basketball, baseball and soccer ever since I was in the 4th grade," said the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Nortman. "I'm used to competition and thrive on it."

Nortman made a name for himself at Chris Sailer's national kicking camp: a veritable who's who of elite prep specialists.

"Bradley has more natural punting potential than anyone in the nation in the class of 2008," the Sailer profile read. "Potential punters like this don't come along often. His size, strength, athleticism and attitude make him the No. 1 punter in the nation."

Speaking to his Sailer exposure, Nortman said, "Going into the camp, I was kind of a no-namer. Nobody knew me. But the competition got me energized and brought the best out of me."

Chris Hagerup is another graduate of the Sailer kicking camp, Class of 2007. You might want to familiarize yourself with Hagerup, who's also a Cheesehead and looms as the No. 1 punter at Indiana University this season.

At Whitefish Bay High School, he was not only the all-state punter, but the starting quarterback. Hagerup redshirted last season with the Hoosiers.

"It wasn't until my junior year of high school," Nortman said, "that I thought there was a possibility that I could go out and compete at the next level."

So far, so good.

UW assistant coach Charlie Partridge has been keeping his trained eyes on the kickers throughout training camp.

Asked about Nortman, he said, "He's pretty special as far as what he has been given talent-wise."

What then is Partridge's challenge in preparing Nortman for the Aug. 30 season opener?

"It's the whole concept of getting your adrenaline under control," he said, "and realizing that a punt on game day is no different than a punt in practice. That's the thing that you've got to get through to a freshman."

Message received.

"Kicking for the first time in front of the team I was a little nervous," Nortman said. "But you've got to block it out and be confident in what you can do."

Relax.

Take a deep breath.

Exhale.

Catch the snap.

Mike Lucas  —  8/21/2008 7:18 am