Who was your favorite KO/PR in the last 20 years? Mine would be probably a tie between Wetjen and Dwight … but all of them were f’ing awesome!
Who was your favorite KO/PR in the last 20 years?
- Thread starter JerseyCityHawk
- Start date
You may have to move your poll back to 30 years if you want Timmy D included, unless you only want the last 2 years of his NFL career.
dejean by a hair over wetjen. the most electrifying PR i've ever seen and likely will never get to experience another of the same caliber was the one against mn in 2023
Like trying to pick between Mary Ann and Ginger.
Yeah, if it's just the last 20 he could replace Timmy with Charlie Jones.
My favorite is probably DeJean.
But, I contend that no player in the history of college football has been "kicked away from" more than Tim Dwight during his senior season. Punters were blatantly kicking punts out-of-bounds for small field position changes even when punting from deep in their own end of the field.
They were terrified of giving Tim a chance.
But, I contend that no player in the history of college football has been "kicked away from" more than Tim Dwight during his senior season. Punters were blatantly kicking punts out-of-bounds for small field position changes even when punting from deep in their own end of the field.
They were terrified of giving Tim a chance.
In my lifetime I'd rank our return guys...
1. Wetjen
2. Dwight
3. DeJean
4. ISM
1. Wetjen
2. Dwight
3. DeJean
4. ISM
Nah. Mary Ann is the choice all day, every day.
I’ll go with DeJean for the past 20 years. Dwight if you go back 30.
Smith? Hard pass.
(Just being a smart aleck, I know who you are referring to.)
Since Timmy D we’ve had a lot of good returners and moments.
Take it a step further some of my favorite returns since Dwight (know I’m gong to forget some great ones)-
Timmy D punt returns @ PSU and @ Michigan
Kahlil Hill KR vs sparty 00’ (fame we ended our losing streak)
CJ Jones- Orange Bowl
Brodell vs ISU 08’
DJK 09’ @ Ohio St
ISM @ Nebby 19 and holiday bowl
Dejean punt return vs Michigan St
Wetjen @ Rutgers and MSU senior day
Least favorite Jonathan Parker kick return vs Tennessee
Take it a step further some of my favorite returns since Dwight (know I’m gong to forget some great ones)-
Timmy D punt returns @ PSU and @ Michigan
Kahlil Hill KR vs sparty 00’ (fame we ended our losing streak)
CJ Jones- Orange Bowl
Brodell vs ISU 08’
DJK 09’ @ Ohio St
ISM @ Nebby 19 and holiday bowl
Dejean punt return vs Michigan St
Wetjen @ Rutgers and MSU senior day
Least favorite Jonathan Parker kick return vs Tennessee
Smith-Marsette should be on this list as he was explosive, had some great KO returns, flipping and hurdling and leaving USC players in the dust etc etc
Smith-Marsette against USC in the bowl game and a huge return against Nebby to quiet the Lincoln crowd plus other long ones for very good field position.
You and hawk 82 are right about his skills. I'll stick with my Cooper vote but ISM is a very good runner-up.
Well Coop took it all the way more that ISM. Coop was a cutter and zig zagger while ISM was more of a one move turn on the after burners type guy throwing in a high step or hurdle etc
Overall, I will say Dwight, Coop, and Wetjen were the best making just incredible magic moves
20 years excludes great returners like Dwight, Hill, Jones, Lewis, and Hinkel.
Brodell, DJK, Martin-Manley, King, ISM, Jones, DeJean, and Wetjen were probably our best of the past 20 years. I probably put Wetjen at the top of the list, just like Dwight you figured something great was going to happen any time he touched the ball.
Interesting fact, the only punt return for a touchdown we had in the great 2009 season was by Adrian Clayborn at PSU in the rain.
Brodell, DJK, Martin-Manley, King, ISM, Jones, DeJean, and Wetjen were probably our best of the past 20 years. I probably put Wetjen at the top of the list, just like Dwight you figured something great was going to happen any time he touched the ball.
Interesting fact, the only punt return for a touchdown we had in the great 2009 season was by Adrian Clayborn at PSU in the rain.
Not unlike Betty and Wilma. Wilma was a b*tch. Betty liked to party.
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I go with Cooper just because I think he was the best bet to take it even when in a bit of traffic, most notably the TD* against the Gophers where he had no business squeezing through.
DeJean was awesome, Wetjen and Dwight were simply at another level however.
DeJean really only did those duties for 2 years. Not counting 1 KR in 2021 as worthy of getting a years worth of credit.
DeJean was really only a PR, except the 1 KR already referenced.
I have to eliminate Coop from consideration.
Dwight did both PR and KR for 4 seasons
Wetjen did both for 3 seasons.
I value avg/return over total yards.
And TD’s are also a big factor.
Dwight PR’s
94- 12.4 avg. 0 TD’s
95- 8.2 avg. 0 TD’s
96- 19.0 avg. 2 TD’s
97- 19.3 avg. 3 TD’s
Dwight KR’s
94- 19.9 avg. 0 TD’s
95- 19.4 avg. 0 TD’s
96- 18.9 avg. 0 TD’s
97- 28.6 avg. 0 TD’s
Wetjen PR’s
23- 9.0 avg
24- 12.6 avg. 1 TD
25- 26.8 avg. 3 TD’s
Wetjen. KR’s
23- 23.9 avg.
24- 28.0 avg. 1 TD
25- 29.8. Avg. 1 TD
Close race between 2 of the best to ever do it for the Hawks, but I have the give it to Wetjen by a slim margin.
He has the highest avg year in both PR and KR. And the most TD’s in one fewer year on the job.
And that is coming from a huge Dwight fan, who never thought he’d witness anyone do it better.
DeJean really only did those duties for 2 years. Not counting 1 KR in 2021 as worthy of getting a years worth of credit.
DeJean was really only a PR, except the 1 KR already referenced.
I have to eliminate Coop from consideration.
Dwight did both PR and KR for 4 seasons
Wetjen did both for 3 seasons.
I value avg/return over total yards.
And TD’s are also a big factor.
Dwight PR’s
94- 12.4 avg. 0 TD’s
95- 8.2 avg. 0 TD’s
96- 19.0 avg. 2 TD’s
97- 19.3 avg. 3 TD’s
Dwight KR’s
94- 19.9 avg. 0 TD’s
95- 19.4 avg. 0 TD’s
96- 18.9 avg. 0 TD’s
97- 28.6 avg. 0 TD’s
Wetjen PR’s
23- 9.0 avg
24- 12.6 avg. 1 TD
25- 26.8 avg. 3 TD’s
Wetjen. KR’s
23- 23.9 avg.
24- 28.0 avg. 1 TD
25- 29.8. Avg. 1 TD
Close race between 2 of the best to ever do it for the Hawks, but I have the give it to Wetjen by a slim margin.
He has the highest avg year in both PR and KR. And the most TD’s in one fewer year on the job.
And that is coming from a huge Dwight fan, who never thought he’d witness anyone do it better.
Least favorite Jonathan Parker kick return vs Tennessee
Too soon!Least favorite Jonathan Parker kick return vs Tennessee
Since Timmy D. technically, doesn't qualify. I'll go with DJK for KO returner and DeJean for PR.
Most def I should of added him and his return against USC was absolutely electrifying
Hindsight is 20/20 but it sure seems like ISM was underutilized.
Remember when Kirk just liked to have punt returners mostly fair catch?
Also, not the gambler (Bruce) who fumbled the punt against Nebraska in Kinnick and allowed them to beat us the one time out of like the last 12.
Also, not the gambler (Bruce) who fumbled the punt against Nebraska in Kinnick and allowed them to beat us the one time out of like the last 12.
That game also included a punt return for a TD and another one to set up a TD by Demornay Pearson El. The Iowa punter was specifically instructed to punt the ball out of bounds. That 2014 team and the off-season led to the magical 2015 team and season.
I still have Nam style flashbacks about Riley McCarron waving fair catch with acres of space in front of him.
I’ll add Coop’s punt return stats for comparison.
2022:
10 Returns
165 Yards
16.5 Avg
0 TDs
2023:
21 Returns
241 Yards
11.5 Avg
2 TDs (IT WASN’T A FAIR CATCH)
He was great, but he just isn’t on Dwight and Wetjen’s level.
Wetjen’s 25’ season was incredible.
Makes me wonder if anyone else in College Football has averaged over 25 yds per return in both Punt and Kick Returns before?
Makes me wonder if anyone else in College Football has averaged over 25 yds per return in both Punt and Kick Returns before?
Going back as far as 1977, there was 1 other player that averaged over 25 yards per both punt and kick returns n a single season.
Robert Woods of Grambling State in 1977.
However, Wetjen is the only player going as far back as 1976 that averaged over 26 yards in both in a single season.
Would have to dig deeper to totally confirm, but Wetjen’s 2025 season may be the best in all of college football for combined average of both punt and kick returns in a single season.
