Nick Harris heard all about Bryan Anger's punting potential, but he was anxious to see it for himself. The Detroit Lions punter wanted to know if Cal's prized recruit really was worthy of the hype. Last spring, Harris returned to his Bay Area home and worked out with Anger. "He was as good as advertised," said Harris, a Cal graduate in his eighth season in the NFL. "He is so well beyond his age than most guys. Physically, being so tall and athletic really helps him with leverage and his technique is flawless. But the big thing is he knows what to do out there." The 6-foot-4, 196-pound Anger hopes to display his punting skills on Saturday when No. 21 Cal (7-1, 5-1) plays No. 7 USC (6-2, 4-1) in a key Pacific-10 Conference showdown at the L.A. Coliseum. Cal's redshirt freshman has already proven why he was the state's top-ranked punting prospect coming out of Camarillo High in 2007. He ranks No. 14 in the nation with a 43.89-yard-per-punt average, and is one of 10 semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award, which is given annually to the nation's top punter. Anger is the only freshman and only Pac-10 player on the list. "I don't think there is any doubt that he'll be an All-America punter," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. "There's no question in my mind that he's as good a punter as I've ever been around." Anger wasted no time demonstrating his power and accuracy. In his collegiate debut against Michigan State, he launched punts of 56 and 59 yards. Harris was watching the opener on television, and says it only reaffirmed his offseason observations of Anger.
"A lot of times you see guys, and the moment gets too big for them and they get tentative and mess it up," Harris said. "But he had a good swagger about him running on the field and had confidence. That is usually something you develop over time." Anger has performed at a high level despite playing with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee. Wearing a brace on the kicking leg, Anger still uncorked a career-long 72-yard punt against Arizona State. "I was really shocked. I was trying to hit a clean ball and the thing came off my foot perfectly," Anger said. "I just saw it going and going and I thought, Please don't catch it. Please let it roll.' " Anger's soaring punts have caused more than a few heads to look skyward this season.
"You hear the oohs and ahhs, and even our players in practice, they're amazed," Tedford told reporters. "We showed tape of that 72-yarder the other day, and the whole team was kind of electric with this Wow-type' thing." The attention being given to Anger is rare for a position that is mostly seen but not heard.
"It's nice to get the national respect from people," Anger said. "It kind of seems like punters are standing out as defensive weapons more than I have seen before. It's nice to get that recognition for everyone." Anger never imagined he would be a punter in college. He thought he would play baseball or possibly be a wide receiver. But kicking instructor Chris Sailer set Anger straight during his junior year in high school. "Focus on punting. Your future is a punter," Anger's father, Mike, recalled Sailer saying. "You can go as far as you want with it."
Watching an NFL game on television really put things into perspective for Anger. "The San Diego Chargers punter had just signed a big contract and Bryan heard and said, They can make that much money?' " his father said. "He realized he could go to college and just be a punter." Mike Anger is not totally surprised about his son's rapid punting progression. "He is just one of those kids who is a freak. He could play tiddlywinks or ping pong and be really good," he said. "He is a very natural athlete and it has really helped him to get more hang time on his punts than probably most people around." Anger lives in an apartment near Cal with linemen Todd Huber and Sam DeMartinis. In their spare time, the trio plays the music video game "Rock Band." Anger mans the guitar, Huber is on the drums and DeMartinis sings baritone. But Anger doesn't anticipate a future in music. "I couldn't touch a regular guitar," he said. "I am sticking to football."
It's a wise choice, according to Harris. One of the premier punters in the country while playing at Cal, Harris averaged 42.3 yards per punt during his career and his 13,621 total yards broke an NCAA record. Cal students held signs and wore T-shirts saying, "Nick Harris for Heisman." Given Anger's auspicious start, Harris can envision a similar cult following developing. "I think he can be one of the best ever if he continues to progress with the potential he has," Harris said. "With what he has done already, I think he can be one of the all-time greats."
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