In a matter of moments, Donnie Mavencamp must transition from excitement to disappointment and back to excitement.

As Minnesota Morris’ drives get stopped on third down, Mavencamp switches from a disgruntled wide receiver or quarterback to a punter ready to swing the game’s momentum.

“It’s kind of hard to be excitable punting because being an offensive player too, it means one of my jobs I’m not doing well,” Mavencamp said.

The contrast between punter and other positions is experienced often in Division III football. Twelve of the top 50 punters in Division III in yards per punt are listed at a position other than punter or kicker.

It gives them a mental test that most position players don’t have to deal with. Playing multiple roles helps them realize the specifics of the sport. It challenges them to schedule their weight lifting around when they practice each position.

“I don’t necessarily view it as two positions,” Oberlin (Ohio) linebacker and punter Max Schenk said. “I just view it as a way that I can contribute to the team in a very influential way.”

Examining the fine-tuned aspects in his punting game inspired him to break down his linebacker game more precisely, Schenk said. After understanding the nuances of punting, he translated that into studying the best way for him to use his hands when trying to shed blockers.

The key for Schenk in punting is consistency. Being able to repeat the more technical elements of the catch-drop-kick motion every single time is what he said makes a good punter.

Despite having been a quarterback for his entire life, Mavencamp has an appreciation for the nuances of punting.

“If you don’t drop the ball at a certain angle or if your toe dips down or something, the ball’s going to drop faster and not go as far,” Mavencamp said. “So it’s just harder.”

But when Tyler Stanek plays as a wide receiver, he’s not thinking about punting. And while the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (California) wideout and punter’s offensive teammates trudge off the field in frustration after a failed third-down conversion attempt, he has one final chance to end the drive with a well-executed play.

“As a receiver already staying on the field when we punt on fourth down, it keeps your mind off of messing up a punt,” Stanek said, “and you just kind of go out there and do it.”

By putting a skill-position player at punter, it also opens up more opportunities for fakes. Stanek said C-M-S uses a fake punt about five times a season. C-M-S has several fake punts in its playbook and having Stanek take the snap makes it more likely that they work.

While these players expand the team’s horizons, they must hone in on their practice. Finding a balance in training is something Stanek struggled with this summer.

“If I’m kicking that day, I have to take into account if I’m squatting that day,” Stanek said, “because it’s really hard to kick if you’re feeling sore.”

Developing skills at two positions provides extra burdens. But when multi-position players put in the time, they can compete with the best punters in Division III.

“Some people think you can just come in and be the punter,” Mavencamp said, “… but if you want it done well, it’s really not that simple. You got to put a lot more time into your punting than people think.”

Published on October 28, 2014 at 12:06 am

Contact Paul: [email protected] | @pschweds