Longtime college football writer Bob Asmussen’s take on former Illini punter Steve Weatherford, who will be punting for the Giants in Sunday's Super Bowl:

Of course, he is a bit different. You saw it with his mad dash after the winning kick in the NFC title game. But that is the way, generally, for specialists. You have to be just a bit off to face the criticism they face. And to face 10 angry men trying to smack the ball as it leaves your foot. When the ball is actually blocked, the next step is to smash the punter.

Overlooked in Weatherford’s case is his talent. He is the best punter, average-wise, in Illinois history. He topped 44.5 yards per punt during two seasons and was at 42.6 in a third.

Illinois hasn’t had a better punter in my two decades covering the team. There have been plenty of good ones.
And he was fun. You could get him to talk about almost anything. He was straightforward with his comments, even if they didn’t exactly fit what the coaches wanted to say that. Reporters always appreciate that. And expect it from punters.