Froginbedford
Full Member
And in his new role last year as returner, he housed a punt...folks around me said "Turpin who?"
Punt returner
- Thread starter bleedpurple
- Start date
And in his new role last year as returner, he housed a punt...folks around me said "Turpin who?"
CountryFrog
Active Member
That's a completely separate issue. Reagor may well lose the returner job if he muffs another punt. I'm simply responding to the idea that he shouldn't be back there because he's our best player.
My biggest worry with Reagor returning punts isn't injury, it's him having the patience to just take the fair catch or get down when he gets swallowed up. Could easily see a situation where he isn't getting the touches he wants at receiver and then thinking he's gotta make up for it by doing something heroic on a punt return. Probably would be the case with about anybody we put out there though.
McFroggin
Active Member
How do you not get it? Reagor usually catches the ball in stride with the CB or is going 1:1 on the outside with smaller players.
When you return punts, you have larger players that are at full speed while Reagor is looking up and must start at 0. Potential impacts with MUCH more force hence higher injury risk. A RB like S Barkley is built to take bigger hits. Reagor isnt.
CountryFrog
Active Member
Turpin was tiny. How many times did he suffer an injury as a returner in his 4 years?
McFroggin
Active Member
At least twice. Thanks. Helped make my point with recent facts.
CountryFrog
Active Member
I don't think that's accurate
Actually it was more but not all returning punts and kickoffs.
I don't think there's any doubt that a per play basis the chances of getting injured returning a punt are higher. It's just a more violent play than almost any other except for kickoff returns. On the other hand, you need to score points, and it's a hell of a lot easier to "sacrifice" a scoring opportunity on a punt or kick return when you have a high-powered offense that you can rely on. Not only that, but the threat of having your most dangerous offensive player back there definitely puts some pressure on the other team's punter to directional kick, etc. Might generate a shank or two that could make a big difference somewhere along the line.
McFroggin
Active Member
While I agree that he is our best offensive player, I hope he isn’t our best return option. Reagor runs crisp routes and catches very well, but he doesn’t have the shake that Turpin had. Maybe Derius Davis could give it a go.
netty2424
Full Member
Few guys have that shake. Louisville had a guy last night that was a Turpin clone. Was fun to watch. Disappointed Turp ended here the way he did.
CountryFrog
Active Member
Actually I don't think he ever suffered a single injury returning a kick or punt. That's not to say he never limped off the field after a return but he never missed time due to an actual injury from returning a kick or punt.
Conventional wisdom among football fans seems to be that returning punts and kicks is super dangerous but I don't think there's any evidence to support that. It's much more dangerous of a play for the other guys on the field than a normal play but a good returner is very rarely getting hit hard. Although if Reagor doesn't learn to utilize the fair catch signal and actually catch the punt then his odds for injury certainly increase.
Catching passes over the middle as a WR carries a lot higher risk of getting blown up than returning a punt.
I don't know, possibly you do, how to go back and get the stat on Turpins injuries while at TCU but believe you are wrong in your punt/kickoff assessment.
West Coast Johnny
Full Member
Well, I'm sure punt returning would add to Reagor's NFL marketability. Of course fumbling three times does the opposite.
CountryFrog
Active Member
Special teams are dangerous. But the returner is the one guy on the field who actually has control over getting hit. It's certainly dependant on each individual player and some guys take more chances than others. But you can literally be a returner and never take a single hard hit if you utilize the fair catch, touch backs, run out of bounds and get on the ground once you're stopped so that no one gets a free shot on you.
Kerley is another example of a small guy who returned tons of punts and kicks (did it in the NFL for a few years too) and never got injured doing it.
BigPurple87
Active Member
Does Moore return punts? I'm asking because I have watched them lately and havent looked at stats
Other teams are not putting their best player at risk against a division 2 team. I understand having him out there against prime time opponents but him returning punts in the second half against that team is STUPID.
flyfishingfrog
Active Member
maybe - but frankly I would rather have him fumble against UAPB then UT or OU.
and he obviously needed the practice if he is going to be our punt returner.
Frankly I am not sure if he should be or not - but I would not want to think of what will happen if that same fumbling happens against a B12 opponent.
