Tennessean - He was born
in Iran, moved with his family to Alabama, and played
high school football for two years. He walked on to the
Vanderbilt football team, later earned a starting job,
and after last season was set to try out for a
professional football team less than two weeks before the
Commodores started fall camp.
He is now playing on scholarship for the first time and
has been one of Vanderbilt's top players this season.
Sure, Iranmanesh (pronounced E-ron man-ESH) is a punter
and a place-kicker, not the kind of player reporters
flock to after a game or for whom fans create posters.
But he was a vital part of Vanderbilt's 31-13 victory
over visiting Mississippi State on Saturday.
He punted seven times for a 40-yard average and three of
his six kickoffs found the end zone. He was the main
reason Mississippi State's average starting field
position was inside its 20.
''I came into this year putting some pretty high
expectations on myself,'' said Iranmanesh, who got the
nickname ''Ponch'' when he was in seventh grade. ''I go
out every week, and I'm the type of person who once I
have a really good kick, I want every kick to look like
that. I'm not happy if one isn't as good as I know it can
be.''
Vanderbilt Coach Bobby Johnson has been downright giddy.
He didn't even know if Iranmanesh would be in uniform
this season.
Iranmanesh earned his undergraduate degree in economics
last May and was headed for graduate school. He spoke
with Johnson and said he would like to return if a
scholarship was available. Johnson said if one came open,
it would go to Iranmanesh.
Johnson said if Iranmanesh hadn't returned to the
program, he was confident someone would have stepped up.
Kyle Keown punted well at camp and in practice. Daniel
Lee and Bill Robertson could have handled kickoffs. But
the experience Iranmanesh brought back to the Commodores
is something that can't be learned at the John Rich
Practice Facility.
''You can always find somebody, but are they going to do
that well right off the bat?'' Johnson asked. ''I doubt
it. So we were very glad to get him back.''
But it didn't look good. Scholarships don't just open up
two weeks before fall camp.
''I had been kicking, but I took a long break after the
end of last season for about four or five months,''
Iranmanesh said. ''I didn't think I had any more football
in my future.''
So he prepared for life after football. He was accepted
to graduate school, but something was missing. He heard
about a Canadian Football League team that was looking
for a punter.
Iranmanesh was preparing for the tryout when he received
some good news from Johnson: a scholarship came open, and
it was Iranmanesh's for the taking. Fall camp was 10 days
away.
The punting job was Iranmanesh's, but there was a battle
for kickoff duties. It was clear throughout camp
Iranmanesh would handle that job as well.
''Ponch has been great,'' Johnson said. ''About midway
through last season he just started booming his kickoffs.
He got his technique and he's pretty consistent. Unless
the wind was blowing pretty hard in his face, he was
probably going to get it in (end zone).
''It's a huge weapon when you can pin those guys, or even
start them on the 20 and they have to drive 80 yards.
Statistically, the chances to drive 80 yards is just
tough to do.''
Iranmanesh said ''field position is really the main
purpose of my job.'' Another part, one that's tougher for
kickers to accomplish, is having the right mind-set.
''When I'm out there, or if any kicker or punter is out
there, you are zoned in to the task at hand at that
moment,'' Iranmanesh said. ''If you had a bad kick or
punt, you can't dwell on it. Anybody who follows football
knows kickers and punters tend to get into a mental rut
for several kicks at a time when one is bad. It's mental
more than anything.''
From Iran to Alabama to Nashville. Just your typical
American success story.
Abtin Iranmanesh file
Vanderbilt punter/placekicker Abtin Iranmanesh took an
odd route to become one of the steadiest Commodores this
season.
Born: Tehran, Iran
High school: Bob Jones HS (Madison, Ala.)
Tidbits: Seventh in the SEC in punting average (40.7) and
has the second-longest punt in the league this season (60
yards). … A fifth-year senior currently enrolled in
graduate studies at Peabody.
Kovolisky honored
Vanderbilt guard Brian Kovolisky has been named the
Southeastern Conference Offensive Lineman of the Week.
The 6-foot-7, 296-pounder earned a 90 percent grade
during Vanderbilt's 31-13 victory against visiting
Mississippi State on Saturday. He was the only senior
starter on the offensive line and helped Vanderbilt
compile a season-high 228 rushing yards.
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