Meet punter Tommy Townsend: A candidate to replace Dustin Colquitt
For the first time in 15 years, there will be someone new taking a snap for a punt in a Chiefs uniform. Before the Kansas City Chiefs released long-time punter Dustin Colquitt, they signed undrafted free agent punter Tommy Townsend.
Townsend had some ties with the Colquitt family as he redshirted at Tennessee for a season before transferring to Florida where his brother, Johnny Townsend, who punted for the then-Oakland Raiders and New York Giants, played.
“I actually met Britton [Colquitt] when I was at Tennessee,” Townsend said. “He came out and got some work in with us but of course I’ve always heard stuff about Dustin [Colquitt]. He’s a legend, not just to the punting industry but for the Chiefs and throughout the NFL.”
Townsend said the biggest thing for him is to make a name for himself and “become his own person” as he prepares to compete for Colquitt’s previous role.
The Florida punter was a hot commodity out of the draft. Townsend finished his Gator career with 4,162 yards on 93 punts for an average of 44.8 yards per punt. He also holds school records for most yards by a punter in a single game, 432 yards on nine punts, and the seventh-longest punt, 71 yards.
He had several offers with other teams but chose to forego them for a chance to sign with the reigning Super Bowl champions.
“I’ve been hearing amazing things about the Chiefs, the coaching staff and just the culture that the Chiefs organization brings forward,” Townsend said. “So, it was always something in the back of my mind that told me the Chiefs would be a really great spot for me, and it played out that way.”
One of the first steps in the process of making a name for himself begins in rookie meetings. Townsend met with Chiefs Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub and recently wrapped up the virtual rookie minicamp.
Townsend said in addition to having conversations with Toub, he’s been watching film to get an understanding of the schemes and the level of expectations the Chiefs have for their special teams unit.
Another duty left vacant by Colquitt’s departure is the role of holding on field goals and extra points. Townsend said he would have no problem stepping into the position if need be.
“I’ve been holding since high school. It’s something that I’m fairly confident in,” Townsend said. “Like I said, I’ve been a holder since high school, and I also held the two seasons that I played at Florida and we did pretty well there. … I’m just really excited to get to work with Harrison [Butker] and James [Winchester] to try to make the operation as efficient as possible.”
