Penn State’s 258-pound kicker lays out kick returner
Sep 3, 2016, 6:21 PM
When we see the rare tackle by a kicker or punter, it’s usually a big hit because of who made the tackle, not the impact.
Penn State’s kicker Joey Julius changed that Saturday. Julius is 5-foot-10, weighs 258 pounds — one pound down from his listed weight last year — and wears the No. 99.
When a man of that size gets the proper angle on a smaller, more agile kick returner, it’s safe to assume there’s going to be a nasty collision. Julius made that happen and then some, knocking the Kent State returner back three yards while holding his ground after the hit.
His coach James Franklin had high praise for the tackle, jokingly telling his defensive coordinator Brent Pry not to move the player to defense.
"Joe Julius probably had the biggest hit of the day." Franklin told Pry not to steal kicker Julius
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) September 3, 2016