Yahoo Finance Punter signed fresh off FedEx gig can't deliver for Titans
Trevor Daniel had a rough night in Nashville.
The Tennessee Titans punter suited up in a Thursday night matchup against the Indianapolis Colts with a chance earn a job with his home-state team.
According to local radio host Jonathan Hutton, the 25-year-old former Tennessee Volunteers punter was working for FedEx when the Titans called him in for a tryout.
Former @Vol_Football punter @TrevorDaniel93 was driving for @FedEx when @Titans GM Jon Robinson called him to come in for a tryout. He dropped off two more packages and drove to the facility.
The Dickson Co. native will punt for the #Titans tonight.— Jonathan Hutton (@Hutton1045) November 13, 2020
It wouldn’t be his first NFL game. He punted in 18 games for the Houston Texans in 2018 and 2019, but hadn’t played in an NFL game since Week 2 of last season. Until Thursday night.
It did not go well.
Goal-line stand doesn’t pay off
With the Titans leading 17-13 in the third quarter, Tennessee came up with a goal-line stand, stuffing a pair of Colts runs from the 1-yard line short of the end zone on third and fourth down. Backed up in their own end zone, the Titans offense did not manage a first down on the ensuing possession.
They sent Daniel out to punt. He shanked it off his right foot for 17 yards. The Colts took over at the Titans 27. This time there was no goal-line stand. Indianapolis scored four plays later on a Nyheim Hines touchdown run to take a 20-17 lead.
Fox TV cameras sought Daniel out on the sideline for his reaction.
ah jeez pic.twitter.com/0l2glREXd5
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 13, 2020
Trevor Daniel has punt blocked, returned for TD
It got worse for Daniel.
The next Titans possession also failed to yield a first down, leading to another Daniel punt, this time from the Titans 26-yard line. He didn’t get this punt off.
Appropriately named Colts linebacker E.J. Speed ran through Tennessee’s punt formation largely untouched and got a free shot at Daniel’s punt. He blocked it. Cornerback T.J. Carrie recovered it and carried it into the end zone for another Colts touchdown.
A 17-13 Titans lead had very quickly turned into a 27-17 deficit that ended in a 34-17 Colts win.
The Colts made sure to tag Daniel — well, rather his former employer — on Twitter while celebrating the blocked punt, too.
The block is hard to pin on Daniel. But he’ll get credit for it regardless.
Daniel was the third punter in three weeks in Tennessee. Unfortunately for him, the Titans appear destined to make it four for four in Week 11.
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