Football season preview: Special Teams
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The return of all three kick returners and a bevy of other key players, the Bryant University football team will look for another big season from its special teams unit in 2017.
This is the first of an eight-part season preview for the Bryant football team. BryantBulldogs.com will preview the defensive backs (Friday), linebackers (Saturday), defensive line (Sunday), offensive line/tight ends (Sunday), wide receivers (Monday), running backs (Tuesday) and quarterbacks (Wednesday) leading up to the season opener on Sept. 2.
Led by the return of 2016 All-NEC Second Team selection and 2017 Preseason All-NEC selection senior Matt Sewall (Portsmouth, R.I.), the Black and Gold will look to continue their stellar play under special teams coordinator Darryl Jackson. Bryant has finished in the top 25 nationally in kick return defense in three of the last four years and top 45 nationally in kick return offense three times in a four-year span.
"This is a solid group," Jackson said. "We have experienced snappers and returners and we return many players that had an impact on our special teams unit last year. We are eager to see the growth of the players as the season progresses."
Sewall was one of the best returners in the country last season, finishing third nationally with 28.9 yards per return. He returned 17 kicks for 491 yards and a touchdown and caught 39 passes for 522 yards and seven scores to become just the eighth player in school history to record 1,000+ all-purpose yards in a single season.
Bryant also brings back its other two returners from a season ago in senior Torrey Dixon (Dumfries, Va.) and sophomore Jean Constant (Delray Beach, Fla.). Dixon returned 11 kicks for 208 yards, while Constant had five returns for 79 yards on the season.
And while the Black and Gold welcome the sight of Sewall, Dixon and Constant, they are also excited to welcome back several other players that thrived on special teams a year ago. That group includes seniors Jake Wiswall (Great River, N.Y.) and Scott Tibert (Pasadena, Md.), and sophomores Richard Ukele (East Longmeadow, Mass.) and Robert Brown (Palmetto Bay, Fla.). Ukele made 14 tackles a season ago, while Brown added 11.
In addition, Bryant welcomes back three experienced long snappers this fall. Junior Jordan Laube (Westhampton Beach, N.Y.) earned the majority of playing time at the position but senior Eric Reyes (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) and sophomore James Picerelli (Warren, R.I.) will battle for time. Picerelli served as the Black and Gold's primary long snapper in each of the first two weeks of the season.
"Our units have a passion to play fast and physical," Jackson said. "They want to win games with their specific units."
The one part of special teams that the Bulldogs will need to replace is at the kicking position. Bryant graduated a pair of seniors in Ricky Perez and Drew Chretien that handled the kicking and punting last season. Looking to fill the void will be sophomores Gavin Rowley (Hampstead, Md.) and Nate Taylor (Peabody, Mass.). Rowley appeared in one game for the Bulldogs last season and Taylor is in his second season as a walk on.
"It is a team game and our specialists are diligently perfecting their techniques so that our units may create field position or score points with them," Jackson said. "They are a competitive group and they are looking forward to the season.
"Our punt and kickoff units will be crucial this year," Jackson added. "These two units must create good field position and must create turnovers. A substantial amount of yardage is attainable to tilt the field in our favor."