White Kick Returners

[Don Wassall]

I don't think it's been discussed much, if at all, but by my count there's been 11 Whites returning kicks and punts this season. These guys all have been returning kicks on a part or full time basis:
Marc Mariani
Danny Amendola
Jim Leonhard
Jordan Shipley
Nick Miller
Tom Zbikowski
Jordy Nelson
Eric Decker
Wes Welker
Blair White
David Anderson

That's 11 teams out of 32 using a White player to return punts or kickoffs, or over a third. That has to be the most in quite a number of years. My guess would be at least 30 or 35.

 

[sport historian]

My guess is more than 40 years.

 

[Thrashen]

Julian Edelman is also a starting punt returner; however, Welker enters the game in crucial 4th quarter situations and scenarios in which a fair catch is more likely.

 

[Don Wassall]

Yeh, I thought of Edelman after I posted. There might be others not mentioned yet.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Good thread Don. I was thinking about this situation myself not long ago.

The NFL has definitely improved in the last couple of years from an offensive skill player perspective which has brought more speedy white kick returners. All the guys you mentioned other than Leonhard and Zbikowski are offensive skill players.

 

[jaxvid]

Greg Camirillo has returned punts for the Vikings every game I've watched them.

I think it's a combination of two reasons for the many white guys that are returning kicks. 1) you need the best hands doing it, a fumble in that situation is killer, 2) you need a guy who can make good decisions very quickly on catching, fair catching, downing, etc. And as is seen at the QB position white guys are just better at the quick decision making process.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Marc Mariani is beginning to look like the white Devin Hester! If only Mariani will get the same shot Hester has gotten to play WR as well.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

asWristshot mentioned in the Week 16 thread, Danny Amendola leads the NFL in all-purpose yards. not bad for an un-drafted player who was cut by both the Cowboys and the Eagles before finally getting a chance in St. Louis after their receiving corps was decimated by injuries. and, if i'm not mistaken, he began his college career as a walk-on.

in the Rams win on Sunday, Amendola accounted for more than 200 all-purpose yards, highlighted by an 84-yard kickoff return. he also had a game-high 8 catches for 53 yards. for the season, Amendolahas 1,079 yards in kickoff returns (23.4 average), he has 443 punt return yards (11.4-yard average), and he continues to lead the Rams in pass receptions with 83 (for 680 yards and3 touchdowns).

*************************************

with little fanfare Marc Mariani quietly shattered a 47-year old team record on Sunday. Mariani set a new Titans (and Oilers for you old school guys) record, becoming the team's all-time leader in return yardage in a season. Marc broke Bobby Jancik's franchise record 1,317 kickoff return yardsset back in 1963.

highlights of the impressive rookie campaign by the unheralded rookie from Montanainclude returninga kickoff for a touchdown (the first Titan to do so in 9 years) in week two and running backa punt 87 yards for a touchdown on November 21.

the explosive Mariani left Montana as the school's all-time leader in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and all-purpose, but he has yet to get an opportunity in the Tennessee passing game.

oh, i almost forgot. he began his college career as a walk-on. "weird," huh?

 

[FootballDad]

Marc Mariani is beginning to look like the white Devin Hester! If only Mariani will get the same shot Hester has gotten to play WR as well.

Wow, we'd be able to see a "Devin Hester" that can actually catch the ball!

 

[white is right]

My guess is more than 40 years.

I would say more like 30+ years. I remember as little boy the majority of punt returners in the NFL were White in the mid to late 70's. I don't seem to recall more than a player or two doing kickoff returns. Back then teams had two guys returning kickoffs.

 

[sport historian]

My guess is more than 40 years.

I would say more like 30+ years. I remember as little boy the majority of punt returners in the NFL were White in the mid to late 70's. I don't seem to recall more than a player or two doing kickoff returns. Back then teams had two guys returning kickoffs.

I just checked the leading punt returner for each team for 1975 and 1979. By my count 20 out of 26 team punt return leaders were black in 1975. In 1979, 21 of 28 were black (two teams had been added).

There were some white punt returners who attracted attention like Eddie Brown and Dino Hall, but nowhere near a majority even if my count is a litle off.

 

[white is right]

I recall Golden Richards doing it for the Cowboys in Super Bowl X. It seemed like the majority were White around the period maybe my numbers are off or all the Billy Johnson types weren't White after all...

On a more serious note if you remember that era games were shown regionally and you never saw teams out of your division unless it was the 4pm (EST game). In Toronto that meant Buffalo and rarely the Jets or Cleveland. The CBS games would be the NFC East teams. The 4pm game would be the best west coast team which was the Raiders. Only in the playoffs did you see other teams. I think the Bills had an Italian-American punt returner in the late 70's to early 80's named Lou Picone. Edited by: white is right

 

[sport historian]

I recall Golden Richards doing it for the Cowboys in Super Bowl X. It seemed like the majority were White around the period maybe my numbers are off or all the Billy Johnson types weren't White after all...

On a more serious note if you remember that era games were shown regionally and you never saw teams out of your division unless it was the 4pm (EST game). In Toronto that meant Buffalo and rarely the Jets or Cleveland. The CBS games would be the NFC East teams. The 4pm game would be the best west coast team which was the Raiders. Only in the playoffs did you see other teams. I think the Bills had an Italian-American punt returner in the late 70's to early 80's named Lou Picone.

Even if it "seemed" the majority were white, they were not. Golden Richards ran a punt back for a TD in the 1973 NFC Championship game. He also had a TD punt return againt the Eagles in the 1975 regular season. Edited by: sport historian

 

[Don Wassall]

Kick returners always seemed predominantly black since I've been following football. I noticed iteven back in the late '60s and '70s when I wasn't racially aware. Kicker/punter white, kick/punt returner black, it's been an NFL staple for a long time but noticeably less so this season.

 

[white is right]

Yes Black kickers are similar to Haley's Comet they come around once every generation. I think there are about half a dozen punters in the history of the NFL and maybe 3 or 4 field goal kickers. So Reggie Hodges is a piece of cherished football history....

Edited by: white is right

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Marc Mariani is beginning to look like the white Devin Hester! If only Mariani will get the same shot Hester has gotten to play WR as well.

 Wow, we'd be able to see a "Devin Hester" that can actually catch the ball!

Yes Hester has been dropping the ball less of late, but Mariani still has better hands for sure. I was meaning as far as their explosiveness and ability to make guys miss in space. They have a lot of similarities as kick returners. Still, Mariani has his work really cut out to have as sterling a career as Hester returning kicks who has already tied the TD record if I'm not mistaken.

 

[FootballDad]

I was merely commenting on Hester's prowess (or lack thereof) as a receiver. He is a poor route runner and has an inordinate number of drops, although he has improved. His abilities and record as a kick returner cannot be questioned, even by his most volatile detractors.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

and just think, guys like Derek Abney and Dan Sheldon never even got a shot ...

makes youwonder ifplayers are somehow discriminated on simply based on their skin color. but i thought the best players always play ...

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

as i mentioned in the Week 16 thread, Chad Hall got the start returning kickoffs for the Eagles tonight. that was nice to see.

 

[Don Wassall]

Adding Camarillo and Hall, that's 13 out of 32 teams utilizing a White kick returner this season.

Who'd a thunk it?

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

neither is returning kicks, but the Eagles have two White men as gunners on punt coverage (Riley Cooper and Colt Anderson). when was the last time that happened, i wonder?

and even as i'm typing this, Colt Anderson saves a potential touchdown by tackling the fleet-footed Percy Harvin in the open field. well done!

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Cool thread! It is interesting that we have this many Whites returning kicks. Although the caste media won't admit it, it has as much to do with speed and agility as sure-handedness.

 

[Paleocon]

Not only does being a kick returner challenge stereotypes about whites being slow, but also it presumably makes it more likely that these guys will keep their roster spots instead of getting dumped to the practice squad or cut whenever their teams acquire a new WR with unlimited upside, butter-fingers, a room-brightening smile, and the maturity of a petulant toddler.


Edited by: Paleocon

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

please pardon my near-double post, but i wanted to make mention of a collegiate kick returner before i forgot. he's an exciting player i'd never heard of until tonigh.t

justa sophomore, University of Connecticut wide receiver (although he never gets to see the field as a wideout for some reason)Nick Williams would be the leading kick returner in the nation if he had enough attempts to qualify. going into their bowl game against Oklahoma, the fleet-footedWilliams had returned 2 kickoffs for touchdowns on only 11 attempts! and his average of over 42 yards-per-return is simply incredible.

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLBNv0Em07o[/tube]

 

[snow]

Well looks like the new rule change will have a negative impact on kick returners, moving kickoffs up 5 yards so more touchbacks and harder to return. I wonder how much of an impact it will have. Sucks it came after a year where our guys were starting to make some ground. At least there are still punt returns for our players, most of the guys listed have experience returning punts as well as kickoffs. Its just harder to get a big play off of a punt return compared to a kickoff.

BTW I was watching a Rams-Cardinals game and they had Max Komar doing the returns.

Edited by: snow