Rattlers’ special teams unit back to full strength
Photo by submitted by FAMU
Outlook Staff Report
As the days got closer to the meeting between FAMU and University of North Carolina, special teams coach team Chili Davis noticed some angst.
Not surprisingly, though, considering that the players who anchor the unit are back in full force.
The biggest return is punter Chris Faddoul. He also got Jose Romo-Martinez, Xavier Smith, and Jah’Marae Sheread. The four uniquely accent an elite Florida A&M special teams unit.
“You know, I think over a period of time, it kind of gets a little boring, hitting the same person for roughly a month,” Davis said just a few days ahead of the trip to Chapel Hill. “Now you’re looking to apply what you’ve been taught in a game setting. So, I think the guys are really excited. They’re focused on their jobs and they’re looking forward to executing.”
He called his unit a focused bunch.
“They know that their job requires a lot of precision and a lot of consistency to do it at a high level. And so, I think they’re really focused, obviously, they’re excited, but the nature of the room is to be kind of cool and level, not too high, not too low, you know,” he said. “And that’s exactly where I want them to be.”
As a unit, special teams were almost flawless against the Tar Heels, but there is still work to be done, something that Davis noticed weeks before kickoff. It starts with their understanding of their assignments, Davis said.
“I think guys are really getting better with that,” he said. “And I also see guys, just throughout the whole team getting better at tackling, knowing their angles, their leverage, the body position that they need to be in, where their eyes need to be, where their feet need to be, where their body needs to be when it comes to a tackle and also carrying the ball. I’ve seen a lot of growth in those areas.”
Last season, the Rattlers had to endure without Faddoul as he sat out with an injury. He’s back and with his return he brings leadership that Davis can appreciate.
“He’s doing a great job from the neck up and the neck down. The neck up includes mentally addressing the situation the right way,” Davis said. “It’s him searching from within to find the mental space that he wants to be in, because you know, coming back from an injury, even though it’s a physical one, it can be one that affects you mentally as well. I think he’s in a great place from the neck up. And then from the neck down, he’s obviously performing at a high level and is excited to get going.”
Before his injury, Faddoul was named to the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society. His other accolades include a being a HERO Sports Preseason All-American (second team) and preseason All-SWAC Special Teams (second team).
Although Romo-Martinez is best known for his kicking ability, last season he took on his role and that of punting. His season was nothing short of phenomenal.
“He adds a lot and is a very versatile guy,” Davis said. “He can kick and punt, and I really like where his head is. He views the game the same way I do. He’s just ready when his number is called, in whatever capacity. He did a great job last year filling in for Faddoul.”
Going into this season Romo-Martinez was named to the preseason All-SWAC First Team. He was ranked 14th in nation in punt average and first in SWAC (43.35) … ranked 45th in nation in scoring per game and second in the SWAC (7.1).
The high expectations aren’t just for the punter and kicker, Davis said. The same is expected for return specialists Sheread and Smith.
“Their play has been great,” David said. “It’s a little bit more than just seeing a ball and catching it and returning it. You’ve got to know what we’re trying to accomplish from a return perspective and then what we’re trying to accomplish from a situational perspective. They’ve just been great. They’re very fun to be around. And speaking to all the guys, whether it’s the specialists or the returners, they’ve had success in the past and told me the same thing when I got here – ‘We all feel like we can be even better.’
‘I really appreciate guys that have achieved something, but they’re not satisfied. They know that they can be better in those areas, and they have the desire to be better. They’re elite returners, but we also talk about being elite decision makers because that’s ultimately what we have to do back there. When the balls in the air, we have to make a decision on what we’re going to do and I think they’re going to execute that at a high level, whenever their number is called.”
