Tommy Townsend takes a snap at a recent practice. (Photo: Alex de la Osa/UAA Communications)
Familiar Name, Similar Game, Different Townsend
Friday, April 13, 2018 | Football
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Gators punter Tommy Townsend is prepared to take over for his older brother, Johnny, who rewrote the school record books during his career.
By: Ethan Hughes, FloridaGators.com correspondent
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gators punter Tommy Townsend knows the comparisons are inevitable. Good or bad, fair or unfair, Townsend will be held to his older brother Johnny Townsend's lofty standards in the minds of Gators fans.
Such is life when you're the brother of the Southeastern Conference's career punting-average leader and the UF record-holder for career punting yards.
The younger Townsend, a redshirt junior, transferred to Florida following a redshirt season at SEC East rival Tennessee in 2015. Townsend sat out 2016 due to NCAA transfer rules and did not play in 2017 while his brother punted his way into the record books. Now, Townsend enters 2018 as the Gators' probable starting punter.
Townsend says he is not intimidated by his brother's legacy and looks forward to accomplishing his own goals.
"I'm not really thinking too much about his stats," Townsend said. "I'm just going out there and doing the best that I can do and go from there. I saw someone … put a tweet out quoting Marco Wilson how he was saying he's his own guy, he's his own player. I agree completely with that.
"I'm in the same shoes as him. People are looking at me to fill Johnny's shoes, and people are looking at Marco to fill [former Gators cornerback Quincy Wilson's] shoes. We're both just trying to come out here and just play the best that we can play."
Townsend says he has learned a lot about the mental aspect of punting from Johnny, and he seeks to apply his brother's advice on the field in 2018.
"[I learned] just to relax," he said. "A lot of people come in and they're super anxious their freshman year, and they're not sure how to handle pressure or anything like that. Johnny really helped me to get comfortable I guess in the idea of college football and to just take it kick by kick and relax."
Townsend wants to leave his own mark on the Gators program and not merely be remembered as Johnny Townsend's brother. It doesn't help his cause that he and Johnny have similar personalities.
"Personality-wise, they're the same person," Gators redshirt senior kicker Jorge Powell said. "It's scary. You talk to one, and it feels like you're talking to the other one. They're both good guys. I love Johnny, and I love Tommy."
Townsend admits that he shares a similar punting style with his brother.
"I think we're very similar punters," he said.
So, how are they different?
Tommy Townsend transferred to UF after a season at Tennessee. (Photo: Alex de la Osa/UAA Communications)
For one, the size difference is noticeable. Johnny is a filled-out 202 pounds, while Tommy is wiry and lanky at 175 pounds.
Another difference is Tommy has been handling kickoff duties this spring, something Johnny never did in his time at Florida. His kickoff role might be challenged in the fall by Evan McPherson, an incoming freshman who will arrive on campus this summer. Townsend says he wants the kickoff job, but that decision is still a long way from being finalized.
Said Townsend: "We haven't done very much kickoff stuff, mostly kickoff return, so they're going to wait to put that scheme in [during] fall camp, so that's when it'll probably be decided.
"I think kicking off looks better in the end run, I guess, for NFL teams. Obviously, I'm talking NFL, but, I mean, I have to play college games first. I just like to have as many tools in the tool box as I possibly can for the future."
Powell has also noticed a subtle difference in their techniques.
"I would say Tommy is a little longer in his steps," Powell said.
Townsend also says the Gators' new coaching staff is having him do more rollout, rugby-style punts, something he and Johnny were not asked to do under the previous staff.
Townsend's main focus this offseason is to improve his consistency. Through two coaching staffs and numerous quarterbacks, Johnny was the epitome of consistency and arguably the Gators' best player in 2017.
"Johnny's obviously shown a lot of consistency, and that's something I'm going to try to match as well," Townsend said.
Townsend, by all accounts, has had a nice spring camp, but he did have two shanked punts in the first scrimmage open to the media two weeks ago.
"I feel I'm pretty consistent so far through spring ball," he said. "I think I'm averaging 44.8 yards a punt. It's OK. It's not where I want it to be. I'd like to improve on my consistency and get the average up to 46 or 47."
While we're comparing, Johnny averaged 47.5 yards per punt in 2017. Tommy's goal is to follow Johnny, a projected draft pick later this month, to the NFL.
"The end goal is the NFL," Townsend said. "I'd love to play in the NFL as long as I can."
Should Tommy's NFL aspirations become reality, the comparisons to Johnny will unquestionably follow him. Townsend isn't focused on the comparisons. He's focused on leaving behind his own legacy at UF.
"I'm just going to try to do the best I can do and make a name for myself," he said.
The only guaranteed way to make the comparisons go away is for the Gators' offense to keep him off the field. Everybody involved would certainly take that deal.
