Wake Forest Athletics
Swank Repeats As ACC Specialist Of The Week
10/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 9, 2006
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Wake Forest punter and placekicker Sam Swank has repeated as the Atlantic Coast Conference Specialist of the Week, the league announced on Monday. The sophomore from Jacksonville Beach, Fla., dropped four punts inside the five yardline against Clemson on Saturday, booted four kickoffs for touchbacks and was 1-for-1 on field goal attempts.
Swank was directly responsible for forcing the Tigers to start inside their own 20 eight times on Saturday, including four times inside their own five yard line. Swank dropped punts at the four yardline, two at the two and one at the one. Overall, he punted five times with a net of 43.8. He made his only field goal attempt of 22 yards.
Swank completely eliminated Clemson's return game. The Tigers' kickoff return team ranks ninth nationally and their punt return ranks 37th. Including punts and kickoffs, Swank kicked nine times for a total of 449 yards. Clemson had zero punt or kick return yards Saturday.
As the placekicker, Swank is 8-for-11 on field goals this season. His long of 52 yards tied a career-long and matched the third-longest in Wake Forest history. Swank has made six field goals in a row.
As a punter, Swank has a strong leg, just like his predecessor Ryan Plackemeier, the 2005 Ray Guy Award winner. Earlier this year, he banged an 86-yarder to break Plackemeier's school record. But Swank truly excels in punting for field position.
Thanks largely to Swank, the Deacons rank 19th nationally in net punting. Only four of his 28 punts have been returned and 11 have been downed inside the 20.
Last year, Swank was the only freshman on the Lou Groza Award semifinalist list. Just a sophomore, Swank is already the only kicker in Wake Forest history to nail three field goals of 50 yards or more in his career.
Swank is one of four Deacons to earn weekly conference honors this season. Offensive tackle Steve Vallos was the ACC offensive lineman of the week following Wake Forest's season-opening win against Syracuse. Quarterback Riley Skinner was the ACC Rookie of the Week after the win against Duke. Center Steve Justice was the ACC's offensive lineman of the week after the Ole Miss victory. Swank earned ACC Specialist of Week honors after the Liberty game.
Wake Forest travels Raleigh to face NC State on Saturday at noon.
