Swinney shares feel-good story about walk-on kicker
By: will-vandervort September 21, 2020

Perhaps there is no bigger weapon on Clemson’s football team than B.T. Potter, especially with the Tigers averaging 43 points per game with a defense that is allowing just 6.5.

Last year, Potter banged 79 of his 100 kickoffs through the end zone, forcing opponents to consistently have to go 75 yards to score. He is already off to a good start this season. Through two games, Potter has drilled all eight of his kicks through the end zone for touchbacks.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said on his call-in show Monday night it is good to have a guy like Potter. However, Swinney knows he needs his kick team to get a little work in just in case Potter is kicking into the wind one day and a return is made.

That led Swinney to tell the story about backup kicker Quinn Castner, who he says is a real good kicker, a very accurate one. However, as Swinney tells it, Castner, does not have quite the leg strength as Potter and during camp all of his kicks fell short of the goal line. So, after Clemson’s fourth touchdown in Saturday’s win over The Citadel, knowing his kick team needed a little work, Swinney called on Castner to kick off.

“There was a little bit of wind so I figured this would be a good opportunity to see what they could do,” Swinney said. “So, he goes out there and kicks it off, and wouldn’t you know it, he got all of it and kicked the ball about four yards deep into the end zone for a touchback.

“Our guys just went nuts on the sideline. They really enjoyed that. That is the kind of team we have.”

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