DALLAS, Texas – WKU Football senior punter John Haggerty was voted Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week, it announced Monday. He is the first Hilltopper punter to earn a league’s weekly award since Hendrix Brakefield on Sept. 17, 2012, when he was honored by the Sun Belt following WKU’s 32-31 victory at Kentucky.
Haggerty had a career day against FIU, booting eight punts for 426 yards. His 53.3-yard gross average was the highest in his Hilltopper career, and the best average of any FBS player this season with eight-plus punts in a single game.
The Sydney, Australia, native had six punts of 50-plus yards and four pinned inside the 20. His best of the day was a 63-yarder that stopped by itself on the FIU 1-yard line, which led to WKU’s first defensive touchdown only six plays later. With zero touchbacks and only 35 return yards against, Haggerty posted a 48.9-yard net average.
After booting 45 punts for 2,064 yards (45.9 gross average) in 13 games last season, Haggerty has 50 punts for 2,298 yards (46.0 gross average) in 10 games this season. His 45.9-yard mark in 2019 set the program’s all-time record.
Haggerty is the fourth Hilltopper to earn a C-USA weekly award this season, joining quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome (Oct. 5), Brayden Narveson (Oct. 5) and DeAngelo Malone (Nov. 9). It is the ninth C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week honor for WKU since joining the league prior to the 2014 season.
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