Trapasso doesn?t fit the mold of a punter
Former running back grudgingly accepts role
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
A.J. Trapasso had a golden chance to curry favor with his coach and committed heresy instead.
Coming off the game of his life last week at Texas, the Ohio State punter was asked recently if he agreed with coach Jim Tressel?s mantra that the punt is the most important play in football.
It was a softball question of major-league caliber, served up on a tee. Trapasso fouled it off.
"Ahhhhh, I don?t know," he said sheepishly. "I agree that it is a big momentumchanging play. I wouldn?t necessarily say that it is the most important play. I think third-and-short with not too much time left in the game, I think that might be an important play."
The answer was genuine, because in his heart, Trapasso still is the standout running back who rushed for 3,754 yards and 50 touchdowns at Pickerington Central.
He had scholarship offers as a running back, to Purdue and a number of Mid-American Conference schools. But his decision was made for him when Tressel came calling.
"When the only school I really wanted to go to offered me as a punter, that was it, that was all that was needed," Trapasso said. "I?ve accepted the role."
Call him the reluctant punter, then, but call him one of the best around. At Texas, he averaged 50.8 yards on six punts, with a net of 44.2. Tressel said the average hang time was 4.48 seconds. Four seconds is considered good.
It was the third-best punting day in Ohio State history.
Afterward, Texas coach Mack Brown mentioned punting as one of the two keys to the Buckeyes? 24-7 victory. The Big Ten named Trapasso its special teams player of the week.
And yet one of these days, quarterback Troy Smith might look up to call a play and see an unfamiliar face.
"When the offense rolls out there, he wants to run into the huddle and play football," said Jay Sharrett, Trapasso?s coach at Pickerington Central. "Some of his favorite times are in practice when they work on fake punts, and he kind of gets to play football for a moment."
His teammates have noticed. Trapasso not only doesn?t look like a lot of kickers ? he?s a solidly built 6 feet 1, 220 pounds ? but he doesn?t act like one, either.
"If you met him, you probably wouldn?t think he?s a punter. He?s a cool guy," cornerback Malcolm Jenkins said. "He?s a real good athlete. When we do fakes, sometimes he outruns some of the defensive backs in practice."
As a redshirt freshman last year, Trapasso averaged 40.4 yards per kick, sixth in the Big Ten. He came into the season wanting to work on his consistency.
Sharrett said he also has worked on mentally handling the role, which sometimes requires long periods of standing on the sideline. Trapasso punted once in the opener against Northern Illinois.
At Texas, two punts in particular made a big difference. With OSU up 17-7 and the outcome in doubt, Trapasso boomed a 53-yarder that was so high it was fair caught.
Television announcer Brent Musburger said, "That one came out of the clouds."
Texas started on its 15-yard line and ended up punting.
A bit later, with the score still 17-7, Trapasso uncorked a 57-yarder. The Longhorns managed two first downs on their possession but had to settle for a long field goal attempt, which they missed.
The Buckeyes then drove for their final touchdown.
In general, Trapasso is accepting rather than enthusiastic about his job. But he has seen one benefit to it.
"It?s better than going to (another) Big Ten school and playing running back and getting beaten up by our linebackers," he said. "I like punting now, so it?s good."
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