Nov. 16, 2004
by Kimberly Dixon, UI Sports Information
Terre Haute, Ind., native Steve Weatherford sure has something to smile about these days. The 6-foot-4-inch, 210-pounder has undeniably been a standout on the Illini roster for the past two-and-a-half seasons.
Weatherford took over the role as the Illini starting punter in the middle of his redshirt freshman season. Since then, he has dramatically improved, and is now gaining nationwide recognition for his golden leg.
Weatherford set the school record last year for punting average when he tallied 44.5 yards per kick. At the end of the 2003 season his punting average ranked him 12th in the nation and earned him honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition.
"He has a tremendous work ethic. He continues to get better and better and better," UI special teams coach Greg McMahon said about Weatherford's improvement over the years.
There is no doubt Weatherford has an exceptional work ethic. Most college students have enough trouble managing a full time class load, but throw two Division I varsity sports into the picture, and you might as well be crazy.
Call him what you will, Weatherford not only participates in both football, and track, but excels in both. He finished sixth in the heptathlon at the Big Ten indoor track championships in 2003, and fifth in 2004.
"Kicking, and punting are fun, and I really like it, but it is nothing like when I was in high school, playing basketball and playing safety in football. I miss the thrill of dunking and hitting people on the field. Being a kicker and punter, I get the job done, but I still want to compete, and I get that thrill in track.
"During the spring, I have a lot more structure and very little free time. My days start earlier in the spring because I have to lift, go to class, two hours of track practice, then another hour and a half of football conditioning. Then I go back and do it all the next day. Over all it is pretty tough and extremely taxing. It has made me more disciplined with time management, making sure I have all my work done in the classroom and have properly prepared myself for competition.
"Working with the track team has helped me improve my kicking by increasing my flexibility, which helps me create more power and speed."
Weatherford has certainly improved. As of now, things are looking good. Weatherford is on pace to break his own 2003 single-season punting record with his 45.6 mark this season. He was recently named to the semi-finalist list for the Ray Guy Award.
Along with punting, Weatherford also handles all the kickoffs and long-range field goals. He currently averages 62.3 yards per kickoff; 15 of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks.
One of the factors in Weatherford's success has been the extra time he has put in during the summers. After the 2003 season, Weatherford decided to continue training with former McKinnery College special teams coach Jared Hooker.
"He knows a lot about kicking, so I really worked with him on fundamentals for about 2-3 hours, twice a week, for the past two years. I have become a lot more consistent and have increased my hang time," said Weatherford.
"His hang time seems to be his biggest strength, averaging anywhere from 4.5 to 5.2 seconds," McMahon said. "Along with his remarkable hang time, he is also proven to be mechanically sound and athletically fit. Mechanically, the two-and-a-half-step punter has an excellent rise, due to his follow-through and extension on the kick. He consistently hits the ball at an ideal angle and puts a pretty good spin on it. Athletically, he has a lean and proportional build. His long legs and arms help with speed and adjustment to poor snaps, enabling him to get the job done efficiently."
Weatherford was wary when true freshman long snapper Kyle Knezetic came into the picture this season.
"I was pretty nervous coming into the year because I had not worked with my snapper at all, but Kyle came in and really stepped up. He has really done a great job snapping, blocking, and covering... he's even had a couple of tackles. Overall he has done a real great job for us, and as a freshman, that really says a lot."
Throughout the 2004 season the redshirt junior has produced some impressive numbers. Weatherford turned in the school's third-best single-game punting performance against Michigan State Oct. 9, when he averaged 53.2 yards on five punts, four of which went for more than 50 yards. Against Iowa, he launched a career-long 79-yard punt, which ranks as the eighth longest in UI history. The longest punt at Illinois was kicked Nov. 6, 1948, by Dike Eddleman--88 yards. It also came against the Hawkeyes.
Weatherford's best game, thus far, however, came when the Illini faced the Minnesota Gophers Oct. 23. He totaled a career-high 372 yards on eight punts (only one of his eight punts was returned), with an average of 46.5 yards per punt. Five of his eight punts ended up the 20-yard line, including three inside the 10. Weatherford had four punts that went 50 or more yards; his first three pinned Minnesota on its own 2-, 7-, and 5-yard lines. He also had an outstanding 57-yard punt. Following his performance at Minnesota, Weatherford, for the second time in his career, was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for those efforts.
"It is always an honor to get recognized for you accomplishments, but without James Cooper and Taman Jordan going down there at Minnesota and downing the punts, there is no way I would have received that award. It's a team game, and it is just as much theirs as it is mine."
Weatherford has done more than just contribute great field position for the Fighting Illini. He has been a solid leader for the team, especially to true freshmen specialists Knezetic and Jason Reda.
"Steve has been around the program, and has a lot of experience in so many aspects in the kicking game and special teams," said Reda, the place-kicker. He knows a lot, and helps teach us where things need to be, how thing need to be done."
Long snapper Knezetic added, "On an individual basis, Steve has helped me out in so many ways. When I was first coming in I was extremely nervous, and he really help me settle in and calm down, especially in that first game. I guess I was a little nervous, and he could tell--Reda was too, even thought he won't admit it. Steve just told me to trust my fundamentals. A lot like coach McMahon, he is always stressing fundamentals."
What is the secret to Weatherford's success? "A lot of practice, and a lot of repetition with punts, but most importantly, confidence.
"Confidence has been the most important factor for me as an athlete, especially as a specialist, because you are not going to get that many plays. But the ones you do get, you have to be confident in yourself, and make your team confident in you by getting the job done and by changing the field position."
"My goal was to come to Illinois and become a starter. I knew I wanted to be all conference, break a few records, with the ultimate goal of being an All-American, and eventually playing in the NF. So there are still two more things I have yet to achieve."
Weatherford is well on his way to achieving his goals. He has proven himself over the years. Weatherford continues to mature and develop as a player, both on and off the field. It is only a matter of time until we see how high his golden leg can reach.
.
