AUGUSTA, Ga. – WKU senior John Haggerty was named the Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week for his performance against Louisville, it was announced Tuesday morning.
The honor marks the first time that a Hilltopper has earned the Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week since Nov. 7, 2018, when Alex Rinella received the recognition for his performance in a game against Middle Tennessee.
In Saturday’s matchup with the Cardinals, Haggerty punted five times for a total of 231 yards, equaling out to a gross average of 46.2 yards per punt. Only one of his punts were returned, for a total of seven yards, which put his net average at 44.8 yards per punt.
Haggerty’s longest punt of the night was a 55-yarder, and three of his five punts were either downed or fair caught inside the 20 yard line.
“I was really proud of our special teams,” said head coach Tyson Helton during his Monday press conference. “I thought they did a great job in the game. Our punter, John Haggerty, was fabulous with a 46-yard average and to be able to change field position over and over.”
Haggerty had already earned multiple honors leading up to the start of the 2020 season, being voted the Conference USA Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year while also being named to the Preseason All-CUSA First Team by both Phil Steele and Athlon Sports.
He was also named to the annual Ray Guy Award Watch List on July 22 as one of 19 initial honorees and the lone C-USA representative. Haggerty set the all-time WKU record with an average of 45.9 gross yards per punt during the 2019 season, while his 42.1 net average ranked 10th in FBS.
The Hilltoppers are set to play their first home game of the season on Saturday, Sept. 19, as they welcome the Liberty Flames to Houchens-Smith Stadium for an 11 a.m. kickoff. The contest will be broadcasted nationally on ESPNU.
