North Carolina State University Athletics
Program Spotlight: Wil Baumann
9/2/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 2, 2014
The Wilmington, N.C., native was one of only six true freshmen to start at the punter position among schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ranks. Baumann still recalls the first punt of his collegiate career which was a 50-yarder downed inside the 20 yard line in the 2011 season opener against Liberty.
“I was just trying to make sure it went down the field,” Baumann said in reference to the first punt of his career. “I remember it perfectly in my head. I caught it with my arms shaking and I felt it hit my foot and I was wondering if I shanked it or if it went down the field. I saw it go up in the air and it didn’t turn over and went about 40 yards in the air, so I said that was pretty good for my first one.”
Baumann was a soccer player throughout most of his life and didn’t start punting until middle school. He was a standout defender with a big leg in soccer and one day his dad told him to try punting. It turned out to be a good decision as he quickly worked his way to being one of the top punters.
At John T. Hoggard High School, he perfected his craft and was the third-best punter in his graduating class, according to Scout.com. He averaged 44.8 yards per punt and garnered AP All-State honors.
He was the starting punter as a freshman on the varsity football team at Hoggard and handled both the punting and kicking responsibilities as a sophomore. It wasn’t until his junior and senior years that he decided to focus on punting, following an injury that affected him more in kicking than in punting.
“I was starting to develop more as a punter during my last two seasons of high school and I knew I would have more opportunities as a punter, so I decided to concentrate on it,” Baumann added.
Once the recruiting process began, NC State quickly emerged as the favorite to land the 6’6” prospect due to the close proximity to home. According to Google Maps, the trip from Wilmington to Raleigh is only about two and a half hours which was perfect for Baumann.
“My family is really important to me, so to have them within a couple hours’ drive to see me play was important,” said Baumann. “I go home a lot during the summer, and to have the option to go back home pretty much when I want to is nice.”
Other aspects of the program that stood out to Baumann were NC State’s academic reputation, the football facilities, the passionate Wolfpack fan base and the opportunity to start right away. He had conversations with the coaching staff about the potential to start immediately, but knew that he would have to earn the position once camp started.
Baumann says he has always taken pride in the amount of hours that he’s put into mastering his craft and working as hard as he can. He remembers being a little raw as a freshman, but his work ethic helped reassure the coaching staff that he should be the starter and as the season went on his confidence increased.
Joining Baumann as members of the NC State special teams unit were two other true freshmen, kicker Niklas Sade and long snapper Scott Thompson. The trio formed an inseparable bond and still spend countless hours together.
“I’m very fortunate to have come in with these guys and had the close bond that we have,” Baumann explained. “Living under the same roof most of the time we’ve been here has given us a bond that most people haven’t had a chance to experience. We’re teammates and we’re all in the same circle when we’re on the field. Everything we do is together and I think that’s something pretty special.”
In addition to just spending several hours together on the fields at practice, Baumann serves as the holder on field goals which brought the group even closer. Holding was something he attempted a few times in high school unsuccessfully, but he decided to give it another shot in college. He says it wasn’t difficult, but was something that really took some getting used to and muscle memory.
In Baumann’s three years of college, he has booted 206 punts which ranks third in the Wolfpack record books for career punts. Austin Herbert owns the program record with 226 career punts, but Baumann could match that total and potentially pass it in 2014. He is also listed among the top 10 in NC State history for most punts in a season, career punting yards and punting average for a single season.
Earlier this year, he was one of 25 punters to be named to the Ray Guy Award Watch List which recognizes the top punter in college football.
“It’s nice to be selected to the list, but it doesn’t mean too much now because it’s just a preseason watch list,” Baumann said. “The goal is to win that award and prove to everyone that I deserved to be on that list among the nation’s best punters.”
Last season, Baumann helped the Wolfpack post the third-best net punting average in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with 38.2 yards per punt. The statistic computes the distance of the punt subtracted by the yards in the return.
In 2013, he had a punt downed inside the 20 yard line in every contest of the season, including a season-high three on two occasions. He booted a 66-yard punt against Maryland in the season finale to set a new career long.
Over the summer, Baumann has spent a great deal of time in the weight room to put himself in the best physical condition to achieve his goals. As a special teams unit, he wants the group to have the highest net punting average after finishing just two spots shy of the feat in 2013. Individually, he wants to be more consistent by limiting his touchbacks and have more punts downed inside the 20 yard line.
The Wolfpack senior says that his previous three years as the starting punter will be really beneficial for him in his final season with NC State.
“I didn’t think about it much then, but thinking about it now it’s pretty awesome to have started as a freshman,” Baumann added. “I think I have the opportunity my senior year to be the most mentally sound I’ve ever been because I know most situations now and I can walk through them in my head. So, I’m very prepared for my last season.”
The Wolfpack senior remains a little undecided on what he wants to do after earning his degree in sport management, but knows he wants to do something in sports ministry. In the spring, Baumann will be working with Athletes in Action and hopes his future career will be clearer after the experience.
RALEIGH, N.C. - Being a four-year starter in college football is not something many have the distinction of claiming, but senior punter Wil Baumann is among the elite crowd. Since stepping on campus as a freshman in 2011, he has had the privilege of being the starting punter for NC State.
The Wilmington, N.C., native was one of only six true freshmen to start at the punter position among schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ranks. Baumann still recalls the first punt of his collegiate career which was a 50-yarder downed inside the 20 yard line in the 2011 season opener against Liberty.
“I was just trying to make sure it went down the field,” Baumann said in reference to the first punt of his career. “I remember it perfectly in my head. I caught it with my arms shaking and I felt it hit my foot and I was wondering if I shanked it or if it went down the field. I saw it go up in the air and it didn’t turn over and went about 40 yards in the air, so I said that was pretty good for my first one.”
Baumann was a soccer player throughout most of his life and didn’t start punting until middle school. He was a standout defender with a big leg in soccer and one day his dad told him to try punting. It turned out to be a good decision as he quickly worked his way to being one of the top punters.
At John T. Hoggard High School, he perfected his craft and was the third-best punter in his graduating class, according to Scout.com. He averaged 44.8 yards per punt and garnered AP All-State honors.
He was the starting punter as a freshman on the varsity football team at Hoggard and handled both the punting and kicking responsibilities as a sophomore. It wasn’t until his junior and senior years that he decided to focus on punting, following an injury that affected him more in kicking than in punting.
“I was starting to develop more as a punter during my last two seasons of high school and I knew I would have more opportunities as a punter, so I decided to concentrate on it,” Baumann added.
Once the recruiting process began, NC State quickly emerged as the favorite to land the 6’6” prospect due to the close proximity to home. According to Google Maps, the trip from Wilmington to Raleigh is only about two and a half hours which was perfect for Baumann.
“My family is really important to me, so to have them within a couple hours’ drive to see me play was important,” said Baumann. “I go home a lot during the summer, and to have the option to go back home pretty much when I want to is nice.”
Other aspects of the program that stood out to Baumann were NC State’s academic reputation, the football facilities, the passionate Wolfpack fan base and the opportunity to start right away. He had conversations with the coaching staff about the potential to start immediately, but knew that he would have to earn the position once camp started.
Baumann says he has always taken pride in the amount of hours that he’s put into mastering his craft and working as hard as he can. He remembers being a little raw as a freshman, but his work ethic helped reassure the coaching staff that he should be the starter and as the season went on his confidence increased.
Joining Baumann as members of the NC State special teams unit were two other true freshmen, kicker Niklas Sade and long snapper Scott Thompson. The trio formed an inseparable bond and still spend countless hours together.
“I’m very fortunate to have come in with these guys and had the close bond that we have,” Baumann explained. “Living under the same roof most of the time we’ve been here has given us a bond that most people haven’t had a chance to experience. We’re teammates and we’re all in the same circle when we’re on the field. Everything we do is together and I think that’s something pretty special.”
In addition to just spending several hours together on the fields at practice, Baumann serves as the holder on field goals which brought the group even closer. Holding was something he attempted a few times in high school unsuccessfully, but he decided to give it another shot in college. He says it wasn’t difficult, but was something that really took some getting used to and muscle memory.
In Baumann’s three years of college, he has booted 206 punts which ranks third in the Wolfpack record books for career punts. Austin Herbert owns the program record with 226 career punts, but Baumann could match that total and potentially pass it in 2014. He is also listed among the top 10 in NC State history for most punts in a season, career punting yards and punting average for a single season.
Earlier this year, he was one of 25 punters to be named to the Ray Guy Award Watch List which recognizes the top punter in college football.
“It’s nice to be selected to the list, but it doesn’t mean too much now because it’s just a preseason watch list,” Baumann said. “The goal is to win that award and prove to everyone that I deserved to be on that list among the nation’s best punters.”
Last season, Baumann helped the Wolfpack post the third-best net punting average in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with 38.2 yards per punt. The statistic computes the distance of the punt subtracted by the yards in the return.
In 2013, he had a punt downed inside the 20 yard line in every contest of the season, including a season-high three on two occasions. He booted a 66-yard punt against Maryland in the season finale to set a new career long.
Over the summer, Baumann has spent a great deal of time in the weight room to put himself in the best physical condition to achieve his goals. As a special teams unit, he wants the group to have the highest net punting average after finishing just two spots shy of the feat in 2013. Individually, he wants to be more consistent by limiting his touchbacks and have more punts downed inside the 20 yard line.
The Wolfpack senior says that his previous three years as the starting punter will be really beneficial for him in his final season with NC State.
“I didn’t think about it much then, but thinking about it now it’s pretty awesome to have started as a freshman,” Baumann added. “I think I have the opportunity my senior year to be the most mentally sound I’ve ever been because I know most situations now and I can walk through them in my head. So, I’m very prepared for my last season.”
The Wolfpack senior remains a little undecided on what he wants to do after earning his degree in sport management, but knows he wants to do something in sports ministry. In the spring, Baumann will be working with Athletes in Action and hopes his future career will be clearer after the experience.
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