Tyrrell torn about winning punting battle

By Gary Bedore     Nov 10, 2001

For a couple of weeks last August, roommates Chris Tyrrell and Curtis Ansel were battling to be Kansas University’s punter.

Then the competition ended.

“I had a bad day at practice,” Tyrrell said, “and he got it. I was pretty mad. I was kicking really well, but they thought he had better hands and got rid of it quicker.”

Ansel, a transfer from Garden City CC, also had an edge in experience over Tyrrell, a red-shirt freshman from Liberty, Mo.

So when the season began, Ansel did the Jayhawks’ punting and Tyrrell was relegated to kickoff duty while true freshman Johnny Beck handled extra points and field goals.

A few weeks later, however, Tyrrell was doing the punting and Beck was kicking off in addition to the placement duties.

Ansel had suffered an injury in practice. While punting during special teams drills, Ansel was accidentally hit by a teammate who was bumped into him by a scout teamer.

“It was kind of a freak thing,” Tyrrell said.

Ansel still hasn’t recovered from what was reported to be a groin injury but may be a hernia. Whatever, Ansel cannot punt without pain and is probably done for the season, according to Tyrrell.

In the meantime, Tyrrell has mixed feelings about Ansel’s woes. His roommate is hurting, but at the same time that means Tyrrell is the Jayhawks’ punter.

“I wanted to win the job the right way instead of getting it because a friend and teammate got hurt,” Tyrrell said.

The 6-foot, 225-pound Tyrrell has averaged a respectable 41.7 yards on 39 punts Ansel made only eight boots before he was hurt and ranks No. 7 in the Big 12 Conference.

Tyrrell is, however, coming off his worst game, even though he averaged 43.9 yards on nine punts and placed two inside Nebraska’s 20-yard line. On the flip side, Tyrrell had one punt partially blocked and another returned 71 yards for a touchdown by NU speedster Ben Cornelsen.

Tyrrell and special teams coach Clint Bowen have been working this week to prevent a repeat today in Austin.

“We’ve been doing directional punting in practice,” Tyrrell said. “I’m going to try to kick away from (Nathan) Vasher.”

Texas punt returner Vasher is averaging 15.6 yards per return and ranks No. 5 nationally in that category.

Tyrrell came to KU unsure whether he would be a punter or a place-kicker. In high school, he had done both and admits he prefers place-kicking over punting.

While red-shirting last season, Tyrrell quickly learned he would have a better opportunity to punt because incumbent place-kicker Joe Garcia handled all the kicking in practice.

“When Joe was here he got most of the reps,” Tyrrell pointed out, “so I worked on punting instead. I got more reps to that and last spring I concentrated on punting.”

With Beck firmly established as the Jayhawks’ place-kicker, Tyrrell can see the handwriting on the wall isn’t in invisible ink.

“I’m starting to get more comfortable punting,” he said. “I was a little rusty, but now I’m in the groove. I like place-kicking, but I think I’m done with field goals.”

Tyrrell torn about winning punting battle

By Gary Bedore     Nov 10, 2001

For a couple of weeks last August, roommates Chris Tyrrell and Curtis Ansel were battling to be Kansas University’s punter.

Then the competition ended.

“I had a bad day at practice,” Tyrrell said, “and he got it. I was pretty mad. I was kicking really well, but they thought he had better hands and got rid of it quicker.”

Ansel, a transfer from Garden City CC, also had an edge in experience over Tyrrell, a red-shirt freshman from Liberty, Mo.

So when the season began, Ansel did the Jayhawks’ punting and Tyrrell was relegated to kickoff duty while true freshman Johnny Beck handled extra points and field goals.

A few weeks later, however, Tyrrell was doing the punting and Beck was kicking off in addition to the placement duties.

Ansel had suffered an injury in practice. While punting during special teams drills, Ansel was accidentally hit by a teammate who was bumped into him by a scout teamer.

“It was kind of a freak thing,” Tyrrell said.

Ansel still hasn’t recovered from what was reported to be a groin injury but may be a hernia. Whatever, Ansel cannot punt without pain and is probably done for the season, according to Tyrrell.

In the meantime, Tyrrell has mixed feelings about Ansel’s woes. His roommate is hurting, but at the same time that means Tyrrell is the Jayhawks’ punter.

“I wanted to win the job the right way instead of getting it because a friend and teammate got hurt,” Tyrrell said.

The 6-foot, 225-pound Tyrrell has averaged a respectable 41.7 yards on 39 punts Ansel made only eight boots before he was hurt and ranks No. 7 in the Big 12 Conference.

Tyrrell is, however, coming off his worst game, even though he averaged 43.9 yards on nine punts and placed two inside Nebraska’s 20-yard line. On the flip side, Tyrrell had one punt partially blocked and another returned 71 yards for a touchdown by NU speedster Ben Cornelsen.

Tyrrell and special teams coach Clint Bowen have been working this week to prevent a repeat today in Austin.

“We’ve been doing directional punting in practice,” Tyrrell said. “I’m going to try to kick away from (Nathan) Vasher.”

Texas punt returner Vasher is averaging 15.6 yards per return and ranks No. 5 nationally in that category.

Tyrrell came to KU unsure whether he would be a punter or a place-kicker. In high school, he had done both and admits he prefers place-kicking over punting.

While red-shirting last season, Tyrrell quickly learned he would have a better opportunity to punt because incumbent place-kicker Joe Garcia handled all the kicking in practice.

“When Joe was here he got most of the reps,” Tyrrell pointed out, “so I worked on punting instead. I got more reps to that and last spring I concentrated on punting.”

With Beck firmly established as the Jayhawks’ place-kicker, Tyrrell can see the handwriting on the wall isn’t in invisible ink.

“I’m starting to get more comfortable punting,” he said. “I was a little rusty, but now I’m in the groove. I like place-kicking, but I think I’m done with field goals.”

Tyrrell torn about winning punting battle

By Gary Bedore     Nov 10, 2001

For a couple of weeks last August, roommates Chris Tyrrell and Curtis Ansel were battling to be Kansas University’s punter.

Then the competition ended.

“I had a bad day at practice,” Tyrrell said, “and he got it. I was pretty mad. I was kicking really well, but they thought he had better hands and got rid of it quicker.”

Ansel, a transfer from Garden City CC, also had an edge in experience over Tyrrell, a red-shirt freshman from Liberty, Mo.

So when the season began, Ansel did the Jayhawks’ punting and Tyrrell was relegated to kickoff duty while true freshman Johnny Beck handled extra points and field goals.

A few weeks later, however, Tyrrell was doing the punting and Beck was kicking off in addition to the placement duties.

Ansel had suffered an injury in practice. While punting during special teams drills, Ansel was accidentally hit by a teammate who was bumped into him by a scout teamer.

“It was kind of a freak thing,” Tyrrell said.

Ansel still hasn’t recovered from what was reported to be a groin injury but may be a hernia. Whatever, Ansel cannot punt without pain and is probably done for the season, according to Tyrrell.

In the meantime, Tyrrell has mixed feelings about Ansel’s woes. His roommate is hurting, but at the same time that means Tyrrell is the Jayhawks’ punter.

“I wanted to win the job the right way instead of getting it because a friend and teammate got hurt,” Tyrrell said.

The 6-foot, 225-pound Tyrrell has averaged a respectable 41.7 yards on 39 punts Ansel made only eight boots before he was hurt and ranks No. 7 in the Big 12 Conference.

Tyrrell is, however, coming off his worst game, even though he averaged 43.9 yards on nine punts and placed two inside Nebraska’s 20-yard line. On the flip side, Tyrrell had one punt partially blocked and another returned 71 yards for a touchdown by NU speedster Ben Cornelsen.

Tyrrell and special teams coach Clint Bowen have been working this week to prevent a repeat today in Austin.

“We’ve been doing directional punting in practice,” Tyrrell said. “I’m going to try to kick away from (Nathan) Vasher.”

Texas punt returner Vasher is averaging 15.6 yards per return and ranks No. 5 nationally in that category.

Tyrrell came to KU unsure whether he would be a punter or a place-kicker. In high school, he had done both and admits he prefers place-kicking over punting.

While red-shirting last season, Tyrrell quickly learned he would have a better opportunity to punt because incumbent place-kicker Joe Garcia handled all the kicking in practice.

“When Joe was here he got most of the reps,” Tyrrell pointed out, “so I worked on punting instead. I got more reps to that and last spring I concentrated on punting.”

With Beck firmly established as the Jayhawks’ place-kicker, Tyrrell can see the handwriting on the wall isn’t in invisible ink.

“I’m starting to get more comfortable punting,” he said. “I was a little rusty, but now I’m in the groove. I like place-kicking, but I think I’m done with field goals.”

Tyrrell torn about winning punting battle

By Gary Bedore     Nov 10, 2001

For a couple of weeks last August, roommates Chris Tyrrell and Curtis Ansel were battling to be Kansas University’s punter.

Then the competition ended.

“I had a bad day at practice,” Tyrrell said, “and he got it. I was pretty mad. I was kicking really well, but they thought he had better hands and got rid of it quicker.”

Ansel, a transfer from Garden City CC, also had an edge in experience over Tyrrell, a red-shirt freshman from Liberty, Mo.

So when the season began, Ansel did the Jayhawks’ punting and Tyrrell was relegated to kickoff duty while true freshman Johnny Beck handled extra points and field goals.

A few weeks later, however, Tyrrell was doing the punting and Beck was kicking off in addition to the placement duties.

Ansel had suffered an injury in practice. While punting during special teams drills, Ansel was accidentally hit by a teammate who was bumped into him by a scout teamer.

“It was kind of a freak thing,” Tyrrell said.

Ansel still hasn’t recovered from what was reported to be a groin injury but may be a hernia. Whatever, Ansel cannot punt without pain and is probably done for the season, according to Tyrrell.

In the meantime, Tyrrell has mixed feelings about Ansel’s woes. His roommate is hurting, but at the same time that means Tyrrell is the Jayhawks’ punter.

“I wanted to win the job the right way instead of getting it because a friend and teammate got hurt,” Tyrrell said.

The 6-foot, 225-pound Tyrrell has averaged a respectable 41.7 yards on 39 punts Ansel made only eight boots before he was hurt and ranks No. 7 in the Big 12 Conference.

Tyrrell is, however, coming off his worst game, even though he averaged 43.9 yards on nine punts and placed two inside Nebraska’s 20-yard line. On the flip side, Tyrrell had one punt partially blocked and another returned 71 yards for a touchdown by NU speedster Ben Cornelsen.

Tyrrell and special teams coach Clint Bowen have been working this week to prevent a repeat today in Austin.

“We’ve been doing directional punting in practice,” Tyrrell said. “I’m going to try to kick away from (Nathan) Vasher.”

Texas punt returner Vasher is averaging 15.6 yards per return and ranks No. 5 nationally in that category.

Tyrrell came to KU unsure whether he would be a punter or a place-kicker. In high school, he had done both and admits he prefers place-kicking over punting.

While red-shirting last season, Tyrrell quickly learned he would have a better opportunity to punt because incumbent place-kicker Joe Garcia handled all the kicking in practice.

“When Joe was here he got most of the reps,” Tyrrell pointed out, “so I worked on punting instead. I got more reps to that and last spring I concentrated on punting.”

With Beck firmly established as the Jayhawks’ place-kicker, Tyrrell can see the handwriting on the wall isn’t in invisible ink.

“I’m starting to get more comfortable punting,” he said. “I was a little rusty, but now I’m in the groove. I like place-kicking, but I think I’m done with field goals.”

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