Thomas Morstead
Morstead in 2012
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| No. 6 New Orleans Saints | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Punter | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Date of birth: | March 8, 1986 | ||||||||||
| Place of birth: | Houston, Texas | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 235 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Pearland (TX) | ||||||||||
| College: | Southern Methodist | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2009 / Round: 5 / Pick: 164 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 12, 2016 | |||||||||||
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| Punts: | 451 |
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| Punting yards: | 21,183 |
| Gross punting average: | 47.0 |
| Inside 20: | 153 |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
Thomas James Morstead (born March 8, 1986) is an American football punter and kickoff specialist for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Saints in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at SMU.
Morstead was born in Houston, Texas and was raised in a nearby suburb of Pearland, Texas. He has one brother, Patrick. He attended Pearland High School and won varsity letters in football and soccer. In football, as a senior, Morstead received second-team All-District honors and was named the Brazoria County Special Teams MVP. He was also a member of the National Honor Society, adding Academic All-State honors.
Morstead enrolled at Southern Methodist in 2004, turning down scholarship offers from Texas Christian, Rice, Texas and Missouri, but spent the season as a redshirt. He was a member of the Conference USA's Academic Honor Roll in 2005, but never appeared in a game. Morstead took over place-kicking and punting chores in 2006, earning All-Conference USA third-team honors. He led the league and ranked 15th in the nation in punting, averaging 43.82 yards on 50 attempts, the best average by an SMU punter since Craig James averaged 44.9 yards in 1982. He made 13 of 18 field goals and 34 of 35 extra points for a total of 73 points. He also recorded one solo tackle.
As a sophomore Morstead was a consensus All-Conference USA first-team pick and also gained league academic honors. He again led C-USA and finished eighth nationally with a 44.65-yard average, as the Mustangs also ranked fourth in the NCAA with a 39.33-yard net average. He scored 82 points and set the league single-season record by making all 43 PAT attempts, as he also connected on 13 of 20 field goals. Morstead concentrated more on directional punting in 2008. The All-Conference USA honorable mention averaged a career-low 41.78 yards on 59 punts, but only 19 were returned, as the Mustangs placed third in the league with a 37.22-yard net average. He made 11 of 15 field goals, 29 of 30 extra points and amassed 62 points. Morstead missed three kicks inside of 40 yards in 2008, four in both 2006 and 2007.
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