Wake Forest Athletics
Plackemeier Drafted By Seattle In Seventh Round
4/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 30, 2006
New York, NY - Wake Forest punter Ryan Plackemeier was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round (239th overall) in the 2006 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York on Sunday.
"Seattle is a great organization, a team that was in the Super Bowl last year. I've spoken with Mike Holmgren who is a great Christian guy and I'm excited to play for him," Plackemeier said. "I've played in that stadium before and was successful there. I'm anxious to go to work."
Plackemeier, who has final exams this week, plans to attend Seahawks mini-camp this weekend before returning to Winston-Salem for Monday's graduation ceremonies.
Thirteen years ago, in 1993, the Seahawks used their seventh round choice on Wake Forest defensive end Mike McCrary who went on to become a Pro Bowl performer.
Plackemeier becomes the fourth former Demon Deacon to play for the Seahawks, joining Ed Bradley (1976), Ricky Proehl (1995-96) and McCrary (1993-96).
Plackemeier is familiar with Qwest Field, the home of the Seahawks. In 2002, Plackemeier and the Deacons defeated Oregon, 38-17, in the Seattle Bowl. In that game, Plackemeier, then a true freshman, punted five times for an average of 48.4 yards and dropped one punt inside the 20.
Plackemeier, the 2005 Ray Guy Award winner and consensus first team All-American, led the nation in both net punting and average per punt. As a senior, he punted 67 times with an average of 47.2 yards per punt. Plackemeier also dropped 20 punts inside the 20 yardline and nearly half his kicks were not returned.
Among those with 200 career attempts, Plackemeier is the NCAA's all-time leading punter with a career average of 45.26 yards per punt. He was a three-time first team All-ACC selection. No fewer than 10 organizations and publications named Plackemeier first team All-American in 2005, including the American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press and Football Writers Association of America.
A native of Bonsall, Calif., Plackemeier had 13 punts of at least 60 yards as a senior. Three of those went at least 70 yards, including an 82-yard blast against NC State on October 22. That punt was the fourth-longest punt in ACC history. His punts of 71, 74 and 82 yards were the three longest punts in the ACC this season.
Plackemeier shattered his own Wake Forest single season record for average yards per punt, originally set in 2003 when he averaged 45.6 yards per punt. He eclipsed that mark by nearly a yard and a half in 2005.
Plackemeier's Career Punting Statistics
G-GS No Yds Avg Lg I20 50+ 60+ 70+ 80+2002 10-8 32 1,383 43.2 62 2 10 1 0 02003 12-12 57 2,600 45.6 67 11 20 3 0 02004 11-11 64 2,809 43.9 69 17 17 4 0 02005 11-11 67 3,165 47.2 82 20 21 13 3 1 44-42 220 9,957 45.3 82 50 68 21 3 1
