AUGUSTA, Ga. – Illinois State standout punter JT Bohlken was named one of semifinalists for the 2021 FCS Punter of the Year Award presented by The Augusta Sports Council.
The semifinalists were chosen from a field of 37 nominated candidates and were evaluated by the FCS Punter of the Year Award committee on their overall statistics and contribution to the team. Particular emphasis was placed on net punting average, number of times a punt was downed or kicked out-of-bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team's success.
A 2021 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference Honorable Mention selection, Bohlken ranked No. 10 in the FCS and was second in the MVFC with a 44.1 yards (ISU single-season record) per punt average on 67 attempts, with a long punt of 64 yards on the season. The Jefferson City, Missouri, native recorded 23 punts of over 50 yards and placed 20 inside the opponent's 20-yard line with only four touchbacks on the season. He was named MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week and Stats Perform FCS National Player of the Week for Week 10, after punting 12 times for a career-high 516 yards (43 yards per punt) with four punts inside the UNI 20-yard line.
The Augusta Sports Council, also home to the Ray Guy Award (awarded to the best collegiate punter in the FBS), created the FCS Punter of the Year Award in 2019 to honor the best collegiate punter playing in the FCS. A national voting body of Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) sports information directors, conference representatives and sports writers will choose the winner from our top 10 semifinalists. The winner will be announced on Monday, December 13.
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