July 10, 2009
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Punter Brett Upson is entering his senior season coming off an MVP performance in Vanderbilt’s 16-14 Music City Bowl victory, where he kept Boston College pinned all game and saw one of his punts lead to the sole touchdown for the Commodores when it bounced off an Eagle player and was recovered in the end zone. He talked about whether he had gained any newfound celebrity after being the bowl MVP, the biggest difference between his sophomore and junior seasons and also about his golf game.
On having newfound celebrity after being MVP of the Music City Bowl
Not really, just here and there. Same difference. More people recognize you but other than that it’s been about the same.
On whether the punter’s importance gets overlooked
Sometimes, yeah. In the games we win on field position, it gets brought back to the spotlight pretty quick. It’s just one of those things, one-third of the game, just like everything else.
On his biggest change between sophomore and junior year
I finally got that rugby punt down. There was a big gap there for me. I’d never really done it before. My sophomore year was kind of an experimental thing. I finally got that down and I was able to concentrate more on it in practice and get schemes down, but as far as everything else, I’ve just gotten stronger and gotten more accustomed to the speed of the game and know what to expect.
On what he can still improve on
There’s plenty to improve on. Just about everything. Positioning, consistency’s the main thing, just being consistent with every punt.
On any personal goals for senior season
Yeah, same one. I missed All-SEC by just a little bit last year. This year, hopefully I’ll be in the running.
On his scratch golfing abilities
I played in a tournament down in Georgia recently. I have a classic in July where a bunch of pros play in it, and I’ve actually gotten into that too.
On whether he considered playing golf collegiately
It was always football. I was always competitive in golf my whole life but I never really started shooting the numbers until after I’d already been sought after for football. I played soccer and golf in high school. They’re the same season, they just split it up for me.
Read More Summer Q&A’s: Umoh
