Darragh O'Neill Irish-Born College American Football Player 2011-2014

Position: Punter

University: University of Colorado Buffaloes (NCAA Division 1 Football Bowl Series)

Biography:

Darragh O’Neill was born in Cork and moved to America when he was three, growing up in Louisville, Colorado. He played as a punter in the National Collegiate Athletic Association from 2011-2014 for the Colorado Buffaloes. He was ranked 18th in America at College level in 2012 with an average of 43 Yards per Punt.[1]

Career Summary: 2011: In 2011 he became the fifth player in Colorado University to play as the team’s regular punter as a freshman. He played all 13 games, and became the first walk-on to play as a true freshman since 1986. He was three times selected as an honorable mention for Performer of the week by Intersport during the season. He also earned second-team All-American Freshman (Top College Player Award) from both collegefootballnews.com and Phil Steele’s College Football. He was also rivals.com first team Pac-12 Conference Freshman. His 42.6 punt average was the second best in America by a Freshman. His Net Average also broke the Colorado University Freshman Record. [6]

2012: In 2012 Darragh earned honorable mention All-American from the prestigious Sports Illustrated and honorable mention All-Pac 12 from the coaches. He averaged 43.5 Yards per punt and played in all 12 games, consistetly hitting 42.5 Yards or more in 9 of those games.[6]

2013: His average dipped a bit in 2013, to 40.5 yards from 66 puunts but this was because the average yardline he punted from moved to the 37 yardline from the 32 yardline in 2012. He made some school history, however, scoring on a 2-point conversion run against Charleston Southern, becoming the first ever Colorado University Punter to score on a 2-point conversion run.[6]

2014: His best season came in 2014, earning honorable mention All-Pac 12 from the coaches, His average hit a career-high of 44.14 yards per punt. Darragh also placed a Colorado University record 27 punts inside opposition’s 20 Yard line. He won the Iron Buffalo Award for specialists for his work in the weightroom, and also a fourth-team choice by Phil Steele’s College Football.[6]