Jordyn Peters can't remember the exact number, but he knows it was "a lot."
The Auburn sophomore defensive back has been a revelation on special teams this season, coming up with two punt blocks -- and nearly adding a third -- in four games for the Tigers. It's nothing new for Peters, who mastered the art during his high school career at Muscle Shoals, where he says he lost track of how many punts he blocked back then.
"He's been doing it since he was in high school, so it wasn't surprising to me at all," cornerback Noah Igbinoghene said. "He's going to continue to do it, and he's been doing it all season. I can't wait to see what else he's going to do."
While Peters, a former three-star prospect, has been a quality edition to Auburn's secondary the last two seasons, he has been a secret weapon of sorts for the Tigers on special teams--and he credits the team's director of high school relations, Doug Goodwin, for being the reason.
Goodwin is good friends with one of Peters' high school coaches, who relayed to Goodwin that Peters has always had a knack for getting to the punter. That information then reached Auburn's coaches, and now Peters has been the go-to on the punt block unit this season.
The result? A blocked punt against Alabama State that was recovered by Devan Barrett for a touchdown, another against Arkansas that set up a touchdown and what would have been a third block, also against Arkansas, had Peters not gotten in the backfield too quickly and overrun the punter.
"I was too fast," Peters said. "I ran past him. I really should have tackled him, but that's never happened to me before."
Once a weakness, Auburn's special teams keys win against Arkansas
Peters' ability to make game-altering plays on the punt block unit has helped spur Auburn's turnaround on special teams, which has gone from one of the team's major weaknesses a year ago to an absolute strength this season. That was clearly displayed during last week's 34-3 win against Arkansas, when -- along with Peters' block -- Auburn got a 96-yard kickoff return touchdown from Igbinoghene, a pair of long punt returns from Ryan Davis and continued to perform well on kick and punt coverage.
So, what has been the key to Peters' effectiveness in that role on special teams?
For starters, there are physical traits that make him an ideal fit for that role, checking in at 6-foot-1 with long limbs and considerable speed.
"He's so long, man, his arms are really long," linebacker K.J. Britt said. "When he comes around that edge, it's just hard to try to get on him because he's bending. He's just good at what he does."
Those physical attributes are nothing without preparation. Thanks to Peters' attitude in practice and film study, paired with the gameplanning and coaching of special teams coordinator Larry Porter and running backs coach Tim Horton, who helps handle the punt return/block units, that hasn't been lacking either.
"He does all the drills right," Britt said. "We practice blocking punts and he does them all right. When Jordyn was getting ready to go, I make sure I tell him the other day, on Sunday, he didn't block it when we were doing the drill. I was like, 'Go again, Jordyn.' And he looked at me, and I said, 'Man, just go again. You're going to block a lot of punts.' But he does everything right. He takes coaching, he does exactly what they tell him to do."
Then, of course, there's this trait for Peters when it comes to his punt-blocking acumen: His mindset. Peters approaches each punt block opportunity as if he's going to succeed every time he is sent.
"Go get it," Peters said of his thought process. "It doesn't matter if I get blocked or whatever. I'm still trying to go get it, take it off the punter's foot every time. The idea of failing is not in my head at all. Just go get the ball."
So far for Auburn, it has worked.
Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.
from Auburn Sports Impact http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2018/09/jordyn_peters_punt_blocks.html
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