The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 177 ST PLAYER BIOS POSITION COACH Dan Ferrigno enters his fourth year in Ann Arbor as special teams coordi- nator and tight ends coach after guid- ing San Diego State's tight ends and special teams units under Brady Hoke in 2009 and 2010. Ferrigno helped now-graduated placekicker Brendan Gibbons make an impressive turnaround. After hitting 1 of 5 attempts in 2010, Gibbons connected on 44 of 55 field goals over the last three seasons, including game winners in the 2012 Sugar Bowl and the 2012 Michigan State game, and he broke program records for consecutive field goals (16) and PATs (141) made. Ferrigno has directed special teams at Southern Cali- fornia (2000), California (1996-1999) and Oregon State (1987-95). RETURNING PLAYERS KENNETH ALLEN • K/P R-So. • Fenton, Mich. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 230 Career Highlights: Appeared in one game as a reserve punter in 2013, making his career debut with a 51- yard boot against Central Michigan … Did not see game action in 2012. Prep: Earned first-team all-district honors in 2011 for Fenton High School … Also played soccer and basketball. Personal: Born Kenneth Arthur Allen on July 8, 1994 … Enrolled in the School of Kinesiology, majoring in sports management. WILL HAGERUP • P 5th-Sr. • Milwaukee Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 225 Career Highlights: Suspended for the 2013 season, during which he took a redshirt … Big Ten Eddleman- Fields Punter Of The Year in 2012 … An All-Big Ten first-team selection … Appeared in 11 games … His 45.0-yard average on 33 punts is a Michigan single-season record (minimum 30 punts) … Had a season-long 62-yard punt versus Ala- bama … Appeared in nine contests in 2011 … Averaged 36.0 yards per punt on 29 kicks and pinned the opponent inside the 20-yard line five times … Booted a season-best 50-yard punt against Nebraska … Placed a career-best four punts inside the 20-yard line against Michigan State … Suspended for the first four games of the 2011 season … Started at punter in 10 games as a freshman in 2010 … Averaged 43.6 yards per kick on 33 punts … Punted 10 balls more than 50 yards and dropped 11 inside the opponent's 20-yard line … Registered two touchbacks in five appearances as a kickoff specialist. Prep: A three-year letterman and two-year starter for Whitefish Bay High School … Also played tight end as a senior … Rated as a three-star player, the No. 3 kicker/ punter in the country and the No. 10 prospect in the state of Wisconsin by Rivals.com … Averaged 42.9 yards per punt as a senior and converted all four of his field goal attempts … Also caught 15 passes for 187 yards (12.5 yards per reception) and a touchdown … First- team all-state selection as a senior … Played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, booting two punts more than 50 yards. Personal: Born William Hagerup on Dec. 7, 1991 … Brother of former Indiana punter Chris Hagerup … En- rolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. SCOTT SYPNIEWSKI • LS R-Fr. • Ottawa, Ill. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 226 Career Highlights: Redshirted in 2013. Prep: Three -year star ting long snapper at Marquette High School … Two-year starter at offensive guard and outside linebacker … Ranked as the No. 3 long snap- per in the 2013 class by RubioLongSnapping.com … Rated as a two-star prospect by Rivals.com … Listed as the No. 7 long snapper in the nation by ESPN.com. Personal: Born Scott David Sypniewski on Jan. 26, 1995 … Undeclared major. MATT WILE • PK Sr. • San Diego Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 223 Career Highlights: Appeared in all 13 games as the team's kickoff spe- cialist, punter and long-distance field goal kicker … Punted 61 times, av- eraging 40.6 yards per kick and plac- ing 14 inside the 20-yard line … Hit a 49-yard attempt against Michigan State … Kicked off 73 times, including 36 touchbacks … Appeared in all 13 games in 2012 as kickoff specialist, seven as a punter and three as a placekicker … Attempted three field goals, converting two … Booted first career field goal, a 48-yarder, versus Michigan State … Hit a career-long 53-yard field goal in the Outback Bowl … Tallied 77 kickoffs and 28 touchbacks … Punted 12 times, averag- ing 35.9 yards per kick … Pinned nine punts inside the 20-yard line … Punted three times for a 48.0-yard average in the Outback Bowl … Earned first varsity letter in 2011 … Named to the ESPN.com and BTN.com All-Freshman teams … Kicked off in all 13 games and punted in four … Boomed 19 touchbacks … Averaged 41.6 yards per punt, including a long kick of 58 yards, and placed four inside the 20-yard line. Prep: Attended Francis W. Parker High School … Con- verted 10 of 13 field goal attempts, including a 49-yarder as a senior … Averaged 41 yards on six punts and pinned the East team inside its own 20-yard line twice during the U.S. Army All-American Game … Made 9 of 12 field goals (75.0 percent) with a long of 48 yards as a junior … A two- star prospect according to Rivals.com. Personal: Born Matthew Blake Dickinson Wile on June 20, 1992 … His father, grandfather, great grandfather and great great grandfather all attended Michigan's Medical School … Father, Dr. Peter Wile, is the team physician for the San Di- ego State Aztecs … Enrolled in the College of Engineering. ROSTER No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Year Elig. Hometown (High School) 91 Kenneth Allen K/P 6-3 230 Jr. So. Fenton, Mich. (Fenton ) 40 Will Hagerup P 6-4 225 5th Sr. Milwaukee (Whitefish Bay) 43 Scott Sypniewski LS 6-1 226 So. Fr. Ottawa, Ill. (Marquette) 45 Matt Wile PK 6-2 223 Sr. Sr. San Diego (Francis Parker) Fifth-year senior Will Hagerup, who was suspended for the 2013 campaign, was named the 2012 Big Ten Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year after positing a single-season school- record average of 45.3 yards per punt. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN 174-177.STs.indd 177 6/19/14 3:14 PM