Richard Kent - Football - Vanderbilt University Athletics

#94 Richard Kent

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Class Redshirt Senior
Height 6'2"
Weight 198
Hometown Marietta, Ga.
High School Walton
Bio

Honors
• 2012 Second Team All-SEC (Coaches)
• 2012 SEC Co-Specialist of the Week (Oct. 6)
• Ray Guy Award Semifinalist
• 2011 SEC Academic Honor Roll
• 2010 SEC Academic Honor Roll

2012
Kent enjoyed a career-best season and has been a vital part of the Commodores[apos] 9-4 campaign… Named Second Team All-SEC punter by league coaches… Ranked among the Top 10 punters in the NCAA – and third in the conference – with a 44.9-yard average… Finished career with a 42.9-yard average, third highest ever by a Commodore punter… Was named SEC Co-Specialist of the Week for his performance at Missouri, punting six times for an average of 45.2 yards per punt and pinning the Tigers inside the 20-yard line twice… Had 16 punts of 50 yards or longer, including four beyond 60 yards… Season long of 67 yards came at Northwestern… Was superb in Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl victory, averaging 46.2 yards on five punts… During the season, pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line on 22 different occasions… Only four of 59 total punts resulted in touchbacks.

2011
Commodores[apos] junior punter backed up a solid sophomore campaign averaging 42.5 yards per punt, sixth-best in the SEC… Achieved superb 41.2-yard net punting average, best by Vanderbilt punter in more than a decade… Placed 23 of his 64 punts inside the 20-yard line and has at least one punt inside the 20-yard line in 24 of his 25 career games… Had 16 efforts of 50+ yards, with just four attempts resulting in touchbacks… Booted a career-best 67-yard punt against Connecticut, one of three beyond 50 yards vs. the Huskies… Averaged a career-best 51.8 yards per attempt in win over Ole Miss, one of his two games that he averaged more than 50 yards per punt… Had 61-yard punt in AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

2010
First-year contributed ended season as nation[apos]s most active punter, setting new team mark with 84 punts… Ended season with 41.8-yard average, top by a first-year Commodore punter in nearly a decade… One of SEC[apos]s most efficient punters, with opponents getting return less than 33 percent of attempts… Kent had more punts downed inside the opponent 20-yard line (27) than punts returned by opponents (26)… Teams averaged just 6.8 yards in punt returns vs. Commodores… Also had just 10 punts that reached the opponent end zone… Boomed punts of at least 50 yards in 10 of 12 games, including a career-long 61 yarder at Arkansas… Three-time recipient of team[apos]s Specialist of the Week honors; coming after punting efforts against LSU, Connecticut and South Carolina.

2009
Talented walk-on served second consecutive year as primary backup to punter Brett Upson, who put together All-Southeastern Conference campaign as fourth-year senior… Did not see game action, but showed coaches plenty of leg strength and consistent form on practice field.

2008
As a first-year punting candidate, Kent sat behind Brett Upson, but impressed coaches with a strong leg.

High School
Three-year letter winner as kicker/punter for Atlanta area 5A power…Handled all punting chores for Walton for two years… As senior, punted for 39.6 average… Long of 65 yards in the GA Dome during State 5A Semi-Finals playoff game… Kickoff average 61 yards… Squad advanced to playoffs each year of varsity career… Member 2007 Cobb All Star Football Team… Earned Varsity Letters in soccer, and track & field… Five times, three sport Scholar Athlete Awards… Four-year letter winner in Orchestra… 2008 Marietta Daily Journal Cobb County Scholar Athlete… National Honor Society recipient… National Spanish Honor Society recipient… AP Scholar with Honors.

Personal
Richard Bradley Kent… Son of Brad and Barbee Kent… Born Aug. 17, 1989… Brother, William, was a thrower in track & field at Air Force Academy… Dad is manager for Lockheed Martin Co… Plays the cello… Kent completed a double major in May, finishing degrees in Spanish and Corporate Strategy & Management… Kent is a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll receipt.

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