Hunter Smith life and biography

Smith is a veteran punter who spent the first 10 years of his NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts. Entering the 2010 season, he has played in 172 regular season games, plus 15 postseason games. (He was part of the Colts’ Super Bowl XLI championship team.) For his career, Smith has punted 634 times, averaging 43.2 yards per punt, with a net of 35.6.

PRO
* Has played in 172 games during 10 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and one season with the Redskins
* Totaled 634 punts for 27,394 yards (43.2 avg.), and a net average of 35.6 yards
* Has placed 216 kicks inside the 20-yard line
* Ranks third in Colts history for career attempts (985, Rohn Stark; 838, David Lee) and average (44.8, Gardocki; 43.8, Stark)

2009 (WAS)
* Played in 13 games; missed three due to a groin injury
* Posted 57 punts for a 41.3-yard average and a net of 36.8 yards.
* He had a season-long of 59 yards vs. Philadelphia (11/29)
* Became the first specialist in NFL history to rush for and pass for a touchdown in a single season.
* Scored on an 8-yard touchdown run on a fake field goal attempt against the New York Giants (9/13)
* Threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Mike Sellers on a fake field goal play against the Denver Broncos (11/15)

2008 (IND)
* Appeared in 16 games for 10th consecutive season, while also performing holding duties
* Punted 53 times for 2,343 yards (44.2 avg.) with a net average of 38.8 yards and placed 23 balls inside the 20-yard line
* Amassed two touchbacks, the fewest of his career
* Ranked 7th in AFC and 12th in NFL in average (44.2)
* Finished 7th in AFC and 10th in NFL in net average (38.8)
* Had four punts for an average of 46.5 yards with seasonal-long of 64 at Green Bay (10/19)
* Has played in 114 career wins with Colts, among the highest number of appearances in victories by a player in Indianapolis era (118, WR-Marvin Harrison; 117, QB-Peyton Manning)

2007 (IND)
* Saw action in 16 games, while performing holding duties
* Notched 52 punts for 2,181 yards (41.9 avg.), a 34.2 yard net average and dropped 18 balls inside the 20-yard line
* Had three punts and a 57.7 average with long of 63 at Houston (9/2) which was season-best single-game average
* Punted three times, averaging 53.3 yards, with long of 55 and dropped one ball inside the 20 vs. New England (11/4)
* Had a career-high tying four punts inside the 20 vs. Tennessee (12/30)
* Ranked 10th in AFC and 21st in NFL in average (41.9)

2006 (IND)
* Saw action in 16 games, while performing holding duties
* Totaled 47 punts for 2085 yards (44.4 avg.), with a 34.5 net average and 14 kicks inside the 20
* Had PAT blocked vs. Houston (9/17), filling in for injured Adam Vinatieri
* Had one punt blocked at Jacksonville (12/10)
* Ranked 3rd in AFC 10th in NFL in average (44.4)

2005 (IND)
* Saw action in 16 games
* Punted 52 times for 2,301 yards (44.3 avg.) with 23 kicks inside the 20
* Net average (37.1) marked his career-best
* Placed four balls inside the 20 at Baltimore (9/11) which is tied for second-most in club history
* Punted 7 times for an average of 46.1 yards, placed three kicks inside the 10-yard line and had three punts of 50+ yards vs. Jacksonville (9/18) which earned him Special Teams Player-of-the-Week honors
* Was names AFC Special Teams Player-of-the-Month honors for December/January after averaging 45.3 yards on 19 punts and dropping eight kicks inside the 20 with only two touchbacks
* Ranked fourth in AFC average (44.3), fifth in NFL and ninth in AFC net average (37.1), 13th in NFL
* Handled holding duties while K-Mike Vanderjagt became most accurate kicker in NFL history (.875, 217-248) and set NFL record with 42 consecutive FGs (2002-04)

2004 (IND)
* Saw action in 16 games, while performing all holding duties
* Punted 54 times for 2,443 yards (45.2 avg.) and placed 21 kicks inside the 20 with only three touchbacks
* Dropped four of his eight punts inside the 20 at Denver (1/2) which tied for second most in club history
* Ranked second in the AFC and NFL in average (45.2)
* Tied for sixth in the AFC and 11th in the NFL in net average (36.8)
* Finished tied for ninth in the AFC and tied for 17th in the NFL in punts inside the 20

2003 (IND)
* Saw action in every game, while performing all holding duties
* Totaled 62 punts for 2,672 yards (42.2 avg.), a net average of 35.5 and landed 20 kicks
* Punted six times for 311 yards (51.8 avg.) at Tampa Bay (10/6)
* Ran for a game-winning 21-yard touchdown off a fake field goal against the New York Jets (11/16)
* Ranked fifth in the AFC and 10th in the NFL in average
* Finished seventh in the AFC and 12th in the NFL in net average
* Served as the holder while Mike Vanderjagt (37-37) posted only the fourth perfect field goal season in NFL history and hit NFL-record 41 consecutive field goals

2002 (IND)
* Saw action in every game, while performing all holding duties
* Punted 66 times for 2,672 yards (40.5 avg.), a 34.9-yard net average and placed 26 kicks inside the 20
* Had a career-long 69-yard punt vs. Baltimore (10/13)
* Ranked 12th in the AFC and 24th in the NFL in average, tied for fifth in the AFC and tied for 15th in the NFL in net average and seventh in the AFC and tied for 11th in the NFL in kicks inside the 20 while setting best seasonal total in Colts history (24, Stark, 1990)
* Helped club surrender only a 5.8 return average, seventh-best in NFL at the New York Jets (1/4)

2001 (IND)
* Totaled 68 punts for 3,023 yards (44.5 avg.), a 33.8-yard net average and 12 kicks inside the 20
* Ranked third in the AFC and fourth in the NFL in average
* Had three punts for 158 yards (52.7 avg.) at Miami (12/10)
* Punted four times for 202 yards (50.5 avg.) vs. Atlanta (12/16)

2000 (IND)
* Had 65 punts for 2,906 yards (44.7 avg.), a 36.4-yard net average and dropped 20 kicks inside the 20
* Ranked fifth in the AFC and tied for fifth in the NFL in punting average
* Recorded a season-high 57.5 average on two punts vs. Oakland (9/10)
* Named AFC Special Teams Player-of-the-Month for September, the first Colts special teams player to win the honor since K Cary Blanchard (1996)
* Connected on a then career-long 65-yard punt vs. Miami (11/26)
* Had one solo special teams tackle vs. Detroit 10/29, chasing down Lions punt returner Desmond Howard at the 2-yard line to prevent a touchdown
* Rushed 11 yards for a first down on a fake field goal attempt against the New York Jets (11/12)

1999 (IND)
* Punted 58 times for 2,467 yards (42.5 avg.), a net of 30.6 and dropped 16 kicks inside the 20
* Posted 11 games with 40.0+ average
* Had season-long 61-yard punt vs. Washington (12/19)
* Recorded a season-high three punts inside the 20 at Philadelphia (11/21)
* Had one solo special teams tackle vs. Dallas (10/31)

COLLEGE
* Played in 45 career games at Notre Dame
* Also handled kickoff and holding duties
* Ranked third on school’s career-record list with 174 punts and 41.2 career average was second-best in school history
* Was originally recruited as a QB
* Had 42 punts for a 41.7-yard average as senior and finished with 16 pinned inside the 20
* Had a career-long 79 yard punt vs. Arizona State--it was the longest punt for the Irish in 63 years and the third-longest ever
* Was Football News All-Independent first-team as a senior
* Had 50 punts for a 42.6-yard average as 50-42.6 as junior
* Posted five punts for a 45.0-yard average vs. LSU in Independence Bowl
* Had 44 punts for a 43.3-yard average as sophomore
* Took over punting duties as freshman and had 38 punts for a 36.4-yard average, with nine inside the 20
* Had five punts for a 42.4-yard average vs. Florida State in Orange Bowl
* Majored in sociology

PERSONAL
# Was a two-time all-state selection at Sherman High School as QB, RB, TE, K and P
# Was 65-130-975, 13 TDs passing/127-600-8 TDs rushing as senior
# Lettered in track and basketball
# Traveled to Peru in February of 2001 with Morningstar International, a non-denominational ministry, with he purpose of the trip to improve the physical, mental and spiritual lives of impoverished people
# Served as instructor for the Colts 101 and 201, an annual women’s football clinic
# Is a musician who leads worship services
# Is a member of Connersvine, a contemporary Christian band
# Has a wife Jennifer and two sons, Josiah and Samuel

Read more