The senior from Omaha Burke had little trouble pulling double duty last year. He made 24 of his 28 field-goal attempts and nailed all 38 of his extra-point tries. As a punter, he led the Big 12 by pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line 30 times.
* * *
Q: What did you do during the offseason to build on the successes you had as a punter?
A: Just technique-wise, working on holding the ball and not dropping the nose down. It’s not much.
Q: Do you feel you’re more comfortable as a punter now?
A: I was comfortable (last year). You can’t be too nervous about it, or else it will all go haywire on you. I feel a little bit better just having a year under my belt doing it. (Long snapper) P.J. (Mangieri), he’s gotten faster in the snaps, so I feel like our times are better than what they were last year.
Q: Ever think about the NFL?
A: “It’s on my mind, but it’s in the future.’’
Q: Are there any steps you can take to better yourself as a field-goal kicker or a punter prospect?
A: “I need to have a good season. Everything else will fall into place after that. That’s pretty much all I can do.’’
Q: Have you had any crazy, weird or awkward interactions with your adoring fans recently?
A: “Fan day. There was a statue, and a pretty sweet painted picture. And I had a corner named after me. Like Blair High Road and something. A street corner. They gave me the plans and everything.’’
— Jon Nyatawa
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
RSS Feeds