Punter gets kick out of Heisman buzz
Cowboys’ Zach Sinor aims to be first pure punter to win trophy.
— Might one of Oklahoma State’s Cowboys contend for the Heisman Trophy this fall?
Oklahoma State will enter the season with a Heisman candidate in quarterback Mason Rudolph. And Cowboys fans might argue that wide receiver James Washington is a dark horse for the award.
On Tuesday, Oklahoma State’s Zach Sinor attempted to create some buzz for himself.
Sinor, by the way, is a punter. A pure punter has never won the Heisman.
“It all started after the Central Michigan game (last year), a couple people tweeted #SinorforHeisman,” Sinor said. “The media people did a great job and said, ‘Take off with it, run with it and have fun with it.’ That’s what I’m doing: I’m going back for my fans.”
On Tuesday, Sinor tweeted out a link to a hastily constructed website that he developed that morning. He also handed out pamphlets to reporters. The literature — which he printed in Stillwater along with the T-shirt he wore to the media scrum — listed Sinor’s accomplishments alongside the glowing endorsement of “He’s been key for us” from Rudolph.
As for those accomplishments, Sinor averaged 42.8 yards per punt last year. He pinned 35 of his 56 punts inside an opponent’s 20. Not bad for a player who only started punting as a sophomore in high school and “couldn’t directional punt or pooch punt” when he arrived at Oklahoma State in 2014.
“I never thought I’d be where I am now,” he said. “I knew punting was hard when I started; obviously I wasn’t very good at it. I was just the best one on the team that we had. Coming from a small town (Castroville, Texas), there’s not many punter-specific people.”
Sinor wasn’t the only punter at the Ford Center; fellow junior Michael Dickson was among Texas’ representatives. Last year, Dickson set a school record with his average of 47.4 yards per punt. He also was a finalist for the Ray Guy Award.
Dickson, though, laughed when asked about his own possible Heisman campaign.
“No, I’ll let (Sinor) do his Heisman stuff,” Dickson said.
Baylor’s RB issue: Baylor’s Terence Williams is one of the Big 12’s top returning tailbacks, but Bears coach Matt Rhule announced Tuesday he’ll miss at least the first three games of the season, meaning he may not make his debut until the Bears’ Big 12 opener against Oklahoma on Sept. 23. Rhule said Williams is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
Williams gained 1,048 yards last season and scored 11 touchdowns. He was one of eight runners in the conference to surpass 1,000 yards. Of those returning tailbacks, only two — West Virginia’s Justin Crawford and Oklahoma State’s Justice Hill — gained more yards.
Baylor’s best option now is JaMychal Hasty, a sophomore who rushed for 623 yards. Incoming freshman Jon Lovett likely will move up the depth chart. Rhule also has looked at using receivers Tony Nicholson and Blake Lynch.
Still suspended: In other Baylor news, all-conference safety Travon Blanchard remains suspended, with training camp set to start July 27. Blanchard was suspended in February when the school was notified that a McLennan County judge had issued a protective order against Blanchard. The request for the order came from the district attorney’s office and was filed on behalf of Blanchard’s former girlfriend.
Blanchard still is listed on the roster but hasn’t been allowed to participate in any team activities. Rhule said he’s awaiting a ruling from the school.