App St punter, High Point Andrews grad

Great quote: "When the ball is thrown like it was, if you can read 'Wilson' on it, then it's a dead giveaway.''

Punter providing Apps with more than comic relief
By David Coulson, Special to the Greensboro News & Record

BOONE -- It was the call Nate McKinney had been waiting to hear for four years. With Appalachian State attempting to secure a win against Western Carolina in the fourth quarter, coach Jerry Moore called for a fake field-goal attempt.

"We had been working on it all week, so I knew I might have a chance to throw a pass," said McKinney, who doubles as the team's holder when he isn't punting.

All the Andrews High School alumnus had to do was loft the ball past some onrushing Catamount defenders to wide-open tight end Daniel Bettis in the back of the end zone. But instead, his wobbly attempt was intercepted.

"When the ball is thrown like it was, if you can read 'Wilson' on it, then it's a dead giveaway,'' Moore jokingly said of the botched fake.

"I was so nervous," McKinney said. "When I threw it, I knew I didn't get enough on it. I could have ended my career 1-for-1 with a touchdown."

On the way to a 24-14 win, the moment provided McKinney's teammates with laughter more than chagrin -- a common occurrence for a player who usually provides comic relief.

McKinney is notorious for pulling pranks and was among the seniors who set up an impromptu barber shop in one end zone at the start of training camp. There, every freshman received a personalized haircut.

"He's always there to boost people up," said defensive tackle Jason Blalock, a senior who is McKinney's roommate. "In the locker room, he's got a great sense of humor."

"Nate is one of those guys who keeps our spirits high," said kicker Erik Rockhold, the punter's best friend.

But McKinney's ability to help teammates isn't limited to the fun stuff.

"Nate helps me relax," Rockhold said. "When I'm getting ready to kick, he looks at me and says: 'It's time to do your thing.' "

McKinney is one of the reasons Appalachian State is ranked eighth in the preseason NCAA Division I-AA polls as it heads into its opener Sunday morning (12:05 a.m. EDT) at Hawaii. He averaged 42.2 yards per kick in 2002 to rank 15th nationally and is adept at dropping punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

Not bad for a player who Moore says wasn't much of a punter when he arrived on campus in 1999. Moore called on former Appalachian All American Harold Alexander, who punted for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons in 1993-94, to work with McKinney on fundamentals.

"That made a huge impact," Moore said. "I don't think I've ever seen another punter who is as fundamentally sound as Harold, and he's done that with a lot of our other punters in the past."

"Harold taught me a lot about consistency," McKinney said. "He gave me a lot of drills to work on my fundamentals, and he helped me a lot with my drop."

McKinney, who grew up playing ice hockey as a youngster in Butler, Pa., and took up soccer when his father, Mark, was transferred and moved the family to High Point, actually came to Appalachian State to play his favorite sport, baseball.

"I could have gone to some larger schools," McKinney said. "Tennessee wanted me to walk on. But Appalachian was the only school to say I could play baseball and football."

As it turned out, McKinney -- a hard-hitting first baseman-outfielder -- missed tryouts for the Mountaineers' baseball team and has concentrated on football ever since. So much so that NFL teams will be watching his performance closely this season.

"That's always been my goal, to progress to the next level," McKinney said. "If I get a shot, I'll take full advantage of it."

"Nate has worked very hard to make himself into a really good punter," Moore said. "He's got the talent (to kick in the NFL). He just has to get to a consistent level."

 

File this under the "who fucking cares" section. Another winning post from LowPointFortyWiner

 

:bird5: Fuck you Shocker. This was not posted for your benefit. ASU is playing in Hawaii, something your football team will never see. There are at least 3 posters here (and I'm not one of the three) who do care about Appalachian State, one of them a die hard UNC Chapel Hill fan in wossa. So I suppose you've just dissed one of your fellow Tar Heel fans.

And if you've got a problem with my posts, please feel free to put me on ignore. It won't hurt my feelings one little bit.

 

I care. Thanks for the post.

 

UNC fan or not Shocker is about the biggest asshole on the board.