Vanderbilt Football Has Always Taken Special Teams Seriously, Even in the Return Game

NASHVILLE – When looking around the landscape of college football, there is one aspect that Vanderbilt and maybe a few other programs in the sport take more seriously than everyone else. Very few, if any, programs take more pride in building their special teams unit.

In a way, it has become an element that goes into the secret sauce of the success Vanderbilt has had over the past couple of seasons. Between having former long snapper Julian Ashby find a NFL home and kicker in Brock Taylor that is a serious candidate for this year’s Lou Groza Award, Vanderbilt has grown notable talent in the kicking game on special teams.

But there is another reason that separates the way Vanderbilt does special teams than most other schools. The Commodores have no problem sending some of its big time players on offense and defense out for kickoff and punt return operations.

After Vanderbilt’s seventh day of fall camp Thursday, Vanderbilt assistant special teams Shane Gallant told reporters that Vanderbilt’s assumed top wide receiver Junior Sherrill will be a primary returner on kickoffs in addition to Alabama wide receiver transfer Cole Adams, freshman running back Evan Hampton and running back Jamezell Lassiter.

Vanderbilt safety Dontae Carter has also been getting reps at the off returner slot in the return game, according to Gallant.

It is something that does not occur too often to have players that are expected to make major impacts on the offensive defensive ends of the ball to also be a primary guy on special teams, but it occurs in Nashville.

It also seems to be a strategy where it does not take too much convincing Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea to approve, either. In fact, it goes right along with the vision Lea has for his team.

“That comes from the head coach. When the head coach gives us the green light on that thing, everybody’s kind of aligned,” Gallant said. “There’s going to be weeks where a guy may have something going on with his foot, so he can play on offense and give you 65 good snaps, but it might be best to get him off kick return that week. It is a little week-by-week basis for those guys that play a ton of snaps there, but that starts from the top down. Coach Lea wants to change the game.”

Lea has been receptive and comfortable with which of his main guys also have a playmaking role on special teams. The top down, collective coaching structure in how special teams are coordinated trickles down to the position coaches as well. Gallant recalled Vanderbilt linebackers coach Nick Lezynski instructing the guys in his position room on the importance of doing their job on special teams.

Vanderbilt cherishes the opportunity for their players to play on special teams. The easiest way for a player to get on the field and earn his role on the roster is making productive things happen on special teams.

It is a passage of sorts in the program. Before linebackers of the present and of old between Bryan Longwell, Langston Patterson and Nick Rinaldi became the impact players they are today, they played a role in special teams. This year seems to be no different.

“We’re going to have a lot of veterans who have played a lot of snaps for us. We’re also going to have some young guys that are going to be dynamic in the future that are getting their opportunity on special teams,” Vanderbilt special teams coordinator Jeff LePak said.

The special teams unit on any college football team may not produce the most flashy plays, nor score the most points. But a special teams unit is helpful in doing the dirty work that helps put a team in a position to win games.

It goes unnoticed by many, but the impact special teams has had for Vanderbilt over the past couple of seasons has led to success the program has not seen before.

The standard is the standard at Vanderbilt, even when it comes to special teams play. There is a standard of winning and striving for heights never before seen at the school. That message is heard not only by the players on offense and defense, but all three phases.

“We put such an emphasis on ST [special teams] because there’s a standard in our room and that means that we can be the best room in the country. And every year, we expect that,” Taylor said. “If I come out and have a bad field goal period, coach Kill and coach Lea come up to me and rip me, which I appreciate because this room’s just as important as an offensive or defensive skillset. I think that the constant chase toward success is really lively in our room and I think people are just hungry.”

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