Profiles In Terpage – A Countdown To The Football Season: Michael Tart
By petevolk
A recurring series where we will profile every player on Maryland’s roster, counting down to kick-off against Miami. Thanks to OBNUG for the idea.
We’re going to continue rolling through the special teams here.
Michael Tart, Freshman (RS), Punter
Stats:
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 170
Net Punting Average: 41.8 yards per punt (Junior)
Long Punt: 63 (junior)
Ratings: No. 11 punter in the nation and no. 1 in the state of North Carolina by Prokicker.com
High School: Mallard Clark High School (Charlotte, N.C.)
How’d He Get To College Park?
Tart did a great job at Mallard Creek, and was one of the better kicker/punters on the combine circuit. He averaged over 40 net yards per punt as a junior in high school, and was a very good field goal kicker as well. After that year, he was named to the MECA 7 all-conference team. Tart came to the Terps as a walk-on after reportedly being recruited by North Carolina and Duke, and enters the 2011 season as the favorite to start at punter.
Nickname:
Michael “Kick” Tart. I’ll be here all summer.
Look-a-Like:
A younger Mark Sheppard.
Career Highlight:
Being named to the MECA 7 all-conference team, entering the year as the presumed starting punter.
Career Lowlight:
Nathan Renfro signing with Maryland.
Arbitrary Top Five List:
Best tarts:
1. Sour
2. Chocolate
3. Blackberry
4. Raspberry
5. Sweet
Dream season:
Tart holds on to the starting punting job for the whole year, averaging over 40 yards a punt, and takes over the placekicking job for Nick Ferrara.
Nightmare season:
Tart loses the starting job to Renfro, and seems destined to spend the rest of his career as another walk-on riding the pine.
2011 prospectus:
The punting job really is Michael Tart’s to lose. He hasn’t come into the program with a lot of hype, but the guy can definitely kick, and did well in high school and at the national kicking camps. I wouldn’t be surprised if Renfro takes the job from Tart, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Tart keeps it either. This is a position battle that most Terps fans probably won’t spend a lot of time thinking about, but one that is important nonetheless after the loss of the incredibly underrated Travis Baltz. This will be one we’ll keep a watch on.
Up Next:
This next player weighs 45 pounds less than any other player in his unit.