Lobos’ kicking game is in good hands
PK Shelley, punter Dyer have wealth of experience
Editor’s note: The series that reports on the position groups of the UNM football team concludes with the special teams.
Entering the 2018 season, the University of New Mexico’s football team had a great amount of uncertainty on special teams, namely at the kicker and punter positions.
It was a challenging time for the Lobos after former UNM kicker Jason Sanders (Miami Dolphins) and punter Corey Bojorquez (Buffalo Bills) went into the NFL. However, walk-on Andrew Shelley and Palomar Community College (San Marcos, California) transfer Tyson Dyer stepped up as the Lobos’ kicker and punter, respectively, both providing fascinating stories in the process.
Shelley, an Eldorado graduate, quickly moved up the depth chart, beating out
more experienced kickers to earn a scholarship.
Dyer, a native Australian now 27 years old, became a weapon with his booming punts. Last season, he finished as a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, given to the nation’s top punter.
This season, Shelley and Dyer enter as the clear leaders of the special teams, poised to deliver productive campaigns for the Lobos.
“Between Tyson Dyer and Andrew Shelley, those guys have done a nice job,” UNM coach Danny Gonzales said. “We have to work on our extra-point game with Andrew. I give him a hard time about it. How can you be money from so far away and then all of a sudden miss the PATs? ... We’ll get that fixed. But we have two powerful legs coming back that can really help our football team.”
Gonzales, a former UNM special teams coach who was also a punter for the Lobos, said he is concerned about who will be the long snapper. That was not determined through eight practices in spring football before the coronavirus pandemic wiped out all team activities. He remains hopeful there will be a college football season.
Gonzales said it was a possibility the Lobos could add a long snapper as a walk-on.
He said the staff would determine the return specialists during preseason camp.
Redshirt freshman running back Chad Alexander and redshirt senior wide receiver Elijah Lilly were among those receiving kickoffs. Lilly returned kickoffs in 2017 and 2018.
Senior wide receiver Emmanuel
Logan-Greene, as well as defensive backs Donte Martin and Nic Wilson were fielding punts. Martin, a sophomore, Wilson, a junior, and Logan-Greene have not returned punts before for the Lobos.
Jamie Christian, who last worked at Fresno State, is the Lobos’ new special teams coordinator.