HOUSTON – Booming punts with eye-popping leg strength and follow-through, Texans punter Tommy Townsend approaches special teams with a highly specific goal.
Pound the football high into the air as long as possible to allow the punt team to position themselves to make the tackle.
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A two-time Super Bowl champion and an All-Pro selection with the Kansas City Chiefs, Townsend once hit a 67-yard punt with a staggering 5.71 seconds worth of hang time against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Texans signed Townsend to a two-year, $6 million contract this offseason as the replacement for punter Cameron Johnston, who joined the Pittsburgh Steelers on a three-year, $9 million contract after negotiations broke down. Johnston, a former Australian rules football player, had a strong leg, too, but was more of a directional punter.
“There is quite a few differences between our games, Cam is definitely another big punter and here I am coming into another situation with big shoes to fill,” Townsend said. ”So, I am excited for that challenge. Coming in after Cam, we have some similarities, some differences. He hit a lot of the end balls across field, just from his Australian background. I don’t know if I necessarily do that a whole lot.
“I am kind of like a hang time, big-ball punter. Just bang the ball downfield and let the guys go work. Something we have been working on a lot is directional punting and really trying to attack sidelines and just put the gunners in the best position possible for them to go down and work.”
The Texans won the annual Rick Gosselin special teams award for the second year in a row under special teams coordinator Frank Ross.
Townsend’s addition represents the biggest change to the unit as kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn and long snapper Jon Weeks are adjusting to him as a new holder and punter. The timing and chemistry is building every day.
New #Texans punter Tommy Townsend @tommy_townsend All-Pro, two-time Super Bowl champion #Chiefs on approach to punting (47.4 career avg), operation w/ kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn, long snapper Jon Weeks, special teams coordinator Frank Ross and his athleticism @KPRC2 @DrewJRosenhaus pic.twitter.com/eNiK5YAzVv
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) July 27, 2024
“I mean there is definitely a lot of trust there,” Townsend said of Weeks. “The first time that we worked together we went over to Rice University. We were probably punting nonstop for an hour and a half, two hours and he snapped every single ball. Ball, after ball, after ball, and he has his phone recording behind him and he goes and he stops the video after thirty minutes, restarts it.
“He is just a machine. Fifteen years in and he is still snapping the heck out of the ball, super accurate. Just great guys in general, Weeks and Kai’imi are just both great people, so I couldn’t be more fired up to come into a group like this.”
A former undrafted free agent from Florida, Townsend averaged 47.1 yards last season for the Super Bowl champions with five touchbacks and 20 kicks placed inside the 20-yard line.
“He brings a good energy,” Fairbairn said. “Good spirit about him. He’s fit in well.”
Townsend had a career-long punt of 76 yards two seasons ago and a season-long punt of 68 yards last season.
“Excited for any new player that joins our roster to come in and prove themselves,” Ross said. “Obviously has proven himself in this league, but what have you done to get yourself ready for this year and continue to do that? He does have a good leg and excited to get that ball up there and then go make some tackles.
“He definitely can hang the ball and excited to see him mesh into our system and match our system to who he is. It’s not just a square peg and a round hole. We’re trying to blend every one’s skillsets to let them optimize their talents.”
Townsend is adjusting well to a new team, including Ross’ frequent Rocky videos he shows for motivation.
“I have heard about his intensity and his coaching style, and it is great,” Townsend said. “I think it is great to have special teams coordinators that have that energy, that are willing to go out there and demonstrate drills exactly how they want it to be done. He is doing a great job, and I am excited to keep going and keep working with him. He switches out his mugs every day, but he has his Rocky mug just about every other day. So, I have heard a thing or two about Rocky.”
Townsend has a feisty style, too. His high-energy personality tends to show, especially if he mishits a punt.
“I am not too friendly with myself,” Townsend said. “I don’t know if you have overheard. I am not too friendly with myself if I hit some bad punts, but that is something that is also a positive, that I hold myself extremely accountable for punts that are under the expectation or subpar. I am pretty hard on myself.”
Townsend’s older brother, Johnny Townsend, was also a punter at Florida and punted in the NFL for several seasons, including with the Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Raiders who drafted him in the fifth round. He has a career 43.1 average.
Tommy Townsend began punting as a sophomore in high school.
“My brother got into punting, and he started getting some scholarships offers and just little brother mentality that I could do this, too,” Townsend said. “So, I followed up with that and just became overly obsessed with it and here we are.”
One of the biggest keys for Townsend’s development has been developing his leg strength and flexibility. He played running back and defensive back growing up in Orlando, Fla., where he attended Boone High School
“I think the big thing is just building athleticism early,” Townsend said. “I was a running back growing up, I played corner and safety in high school, and another thing is just training like an athlete. That is something I have always taken pride in is trying to be athletic and do things that not a whole lot of other punters can do.”
Football is a family affair for Townsend. His parents attended practice Saturday.
“It is amazing to have them out here,” he said. “This is their first day in Houston and none of us has spent much time in Houston in general, but I was super happy that they were able to come out today. I thought it was pretty cool. They were down there in the parents’ end zone, and we were hitting punts today towards that end zone, especially the pooch punts.
“They can see the ball drop down and let the guys go work. I am excited that they are here, they get to meet my new teammates, my new coaches, staff. They are just as excited as I am. They have been amazing, shaping me into the person that I am now. Especially the player that I am and having the opportunity to play this sport.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
