Herlocker gets his kicks with Pirates

BY STEVE HANF
SALISBURY POST

DURHAM— He trotted onto the field, just like thousands of other times throughout his football life.

This time, though, the public address announcer, the radio broadcasters and some 30,000 fans heard his name.

“In to punt for East Carolina, Wes Herlocker.”

The true freshman, just four months removed from North Stanly High School, caught a break Saturday night in Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium. First-string punter Kevin Miller, a sophomore, spent the night nursing a sore thigh. So Pirates head coach Steve Logan called upon Herlocker — six times.

“I ain’t gonna lie to you. I was nervous — VERY nervous,”said Herlocker after ECU’s 38-0 season-opening win. “It was great just to get out there and play. It’s been my dream forever, and Iactually got out onto the field instead of just standing there.”

Herlocker, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound speed-burner, spent four years at North Stanly playing quarterback and punting. His career under center ended in high school, but East Carolina coaches were impressed by the all-state sprinter’s speed (Herlocker and his Comet teammates won the 4x100 relay in the 2A state meet in ‘99). And last season’s 47-yard punting average wasn’t too bad, either.

Still, Herlocker thought he’d come to Greenville this season, spend time learning the receiving ropes and take a red-shirt. Miller’s injury changed all that.

“With the rain and the weather tonight, and his thigh was still a little bit tight, I just went ahead and let Wes punt,”Pirates coach Steve Logan said. “It looks like, now that he’s not red-shirted, he’s going to do some more punting. He was a true freshman that went out and knocked the ball down the field for us. He had one shank, but he’s a good athlete and he’ll contribute.”

Herlocker’s college debut came with 6 minutes, 35 seconds remaining in the first quarter. He punted from the Duke 47-yard line and launched a picture-perfect ball toward the goal line, but it bounced at the 2 and into the end zone for a touchback.

His next attempt, with a minute to go in the half, didn’t come off his foot quite as well and went for only 28 yards. He launched a 36-yarder midway through the third quarter before his one rookie mistake.

With ECU facing fourth-and-10 from the Duke 39, Herlocker tried a pooch punt that landed just 15 yards away. Adding insult to injury, it bounced back and ended up going for 12 yards.

“I was trying to hit if soft and I hit it a little too soft,”he said with a grin. “But it was just my first game. Trial and error.”

The Pirates didn’t have to punt again in the fourth, so Herlocker’s night was over: six punts, a 33.5 average and a long of 47. That, along with ECU’s 38-0 win, was more than enough for a happy reunion with family and his friends outside the locker room.

“I was expecting to red-shirt, so it’s exciting to know I’m going to finish the year out,”he said. “It’s great just to get out there.”