Returning punts is one of the hardest jobs in football. Standing with your toes on the line, tracking the ball through the air while 11 grown men sprint at you with their destruction in mind… it’s amazing anybody wants to do the job.
However, if you volunteer, you’ll want to do better than Texas Abilene Christian wide receiver Kendall Catalon did against the University of Missouri in the first quarter of Saturday’s game.
Receiving the ball early in the game, Catalon curiously decided to fair-catch the football… on his team’s one-yard line.
Young man, what are you doing pic.twitter.com/LUoQxV4KFJ
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) September 17, 2022
“Young man, what are you doing?” asked Defector videographer Timothy Burke.
Needless to say, the reactions were not kind.
Nothing like giving your team the worst starting field position possible to begin a drive. https://t.co/PpoFSz10mt
— Duff Tyler (@DuffTyler) September 17, 2022
“Nothing like giving your team the worst starting field position possible to begin a drive,” said user Duff Tyler.
every monday after a punt returner calls for a fair catch at the 1 should be declared a federal holiday. the guy who does it should be awarded whatever the national version of the key to the city is, which i guess would be the nuclear launch codes https://t.co/UkVFv0R5KW
— Jon Bois (@jon_bois) September 17, 2022
“Every Monday after a punt returner calls for a fair catch at the one-yard line should be declared a federal holiday. The guy who does it should be awarded whatever the national version of the key to the city is, which I guess would be the nuclear launch codes,” tweeted internet personality Jon Bois.
Perfect sport. No notes. https://t.co/rfz2ZBHwUk
— Wescott Eberts (@SBN_Wescott) September 17, 2022
“Perfect sport. No notes,” wrote SBN’s Wescott Eberts.
what the absolute hell https://t.co/aQ6jNTLZJM
— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) September 17, 2022
“What the absolute hell?” asked CBS CFB reporter Shehan Jeyarajah.
Sorry but that is just a clean fair catch https://t.co/zFebstMyRl
— ¡BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL! (@edsbs) September 17, 2022
“Sorry, that’s just a fair clean catch,” joked Channel 6‘s Spencer Hall.
Abilene Christian will probably lose the game regardless of this bone-headed punt return. But that will probably be little comfort to Catalon.
[Story and image via Timothy Burke]
