How to follow an ‘absolute legend’? Tasked with succeeding Chiefs’ Colquitt, he’ll try
Tommy Townsend found himself a wanted man, in a good way, at the end of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The former Florida punter had his pick of teams with which to sign as an undrafted free agent once the draft concluded April 25, but word of mouth, and intuition, led him to the Chiefs.
“I’ve been hearing amazing things about the Chiefs, the coaching staff and just the culture that the Chiefs organization brings forward,” Townsend said during a Wednesday afternoon Zoom call. “It was always something in the back of my mind that told me the Chiefs would be a really good spot for me, and it played out that way.”
With Townsend and Tyler Newsome, who signed a one-year deal during free agency after being out of football last season, the Chiefs are officially turning the page after releasing Dustin Colquitt, who punted in Kansas City for 15 seasons.
The 2020 season sets up as the first time since 2004, the year before Colquitt arrived in Kansas City as a third-round pick, that the Chiefs will have a new starting punter. The last two punters not named Colquitt to take the field for the Chiefs in a regular-season game were Stephen Creek and Jason Baker.
Townsend and Newsome — who punted at Notre Dame, signed in 2019 as an undrafted rookie with the Chargers and was cut before L.A.’s season opener last fall — will battle for the starting job.
The enormity of replacing Colquitt isn’t lost on Townsend.
“He’s a legend. And not just in the punting industry,” Townsend said, “but for the Chiefs and throughout the NFL.”
The Chiefs found a good player in his own right in Townsend, who started off his college career at Tennessee before transferring to Florida. In two seasons in Gainesville, he totaled 4,162 yards on 93 punts, averaging 44.8 yards per attempt. He left Florida holding school records for most yards by a punter in a game (432 on nine punts) and the seventh-longest punt (71 yards).
He also has experience going back to high school as a holder, another key spot Colquitt had long manned, on field goals.
The way Townsend sees it, he shouldn’t feel pressure in attempting to replace one of the team’s most-beloved figures in the locker room and community. Instead, he said he wants to make a name for himself in Kansas City. And it’s not the first time he’s succeeded a well-liked predecessor, having followed his older brother, Johnny — who led the country in punting average for two straight seasons (2016-17) — to Florida. Johnny Townsend recently spent time with the Oakland Raiders and New York Giants.
“He was a legend at Florida, so I had to come in, step into his shoes and perform and do really well,” the younger brother said. “I mean, I think I did a decent job stepping in and filling his shoes.
“But I’m really excited for the chance to step in after a guy like Dustin. He’s an absolute legend, so it’s exciting to have the chance to try and live up to a standard that he’s set. That’s something that doesn’t scare me; it excites me. To me, it’s an opportunity to try and do what he’s done.”
In the meantime, competition for a roster spot awaits. And Townsend said he’s doing what he can in the current coronavirus landscape to get caught up.
While he can’t train with teammates because of the NFL’s social-distancing restrictions, he has talked to long-snapper James Winchester and kicker Harrison Butker with a view toward developing chemistry.
“I think that’s a really big thing, is having them get comfortable with me,” Townsend said. “That’s one of my main goals, is to really get comfortable with Harrison and James, and have a really good, smooth, efficient operation.”
All that’s left now before the start of the regular season is for these current COVID-19 restrictions to be lifted, which would allow them to come together and work as a team.
And then, let the competition officially begin between Townsend and Newsome.
“I’m fired up and ready to get to work,” Townsend said.
This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 6:14 PM.
