Justin Brantly
Encyclopedia
Justin Jay Brantly is an American football
punter for the Omaha Nighthawks
of the United Football League. He was signed by the Houston Texans
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
at Texas A&M
.
, where his father, Jerry Brantly, served as an assistant coach under Dale Lechler, the father of NFL and former Texas A&M punter Shane Lechler
. Shane and Justin were childhood friends and continue to be close. Justin later went to Sealy High School
in Sealy, Texas
, where he ran track and played basketball and baseball.
He was voted into the UIL
All-Century Defensive Football Third Team.
Rivals.com
ranked him the 18th kicker prospect in the 2005 recruiting class. He chose to play for Texas A&M
over Southern California
due to the small-town atmosphere at A&M. He played in the 2005 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
.
's 44.7 set from 1996–99. Brantly punted 44 times inside the opponent's 20-yard line and recorded 57 career punts of more than 50 yards. He hit a career-best 80-yard punt against Colorado in 2005.
During his senior season, Brantly led the Big 12 and placed third nationally with a 45.7-yard average. He booted 18 of his 51 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line, and hit at least one punt of 50 or more yards in 10 of the 12 games.
After his senior season, he played in the Texas vs. The Nation Game
on January 31, 2009.
, but later signed as a free agent
with the Houston Texans
. He was released by the Texans in June 2009. He worked out with other teams during the 2009 regular season.
of the United Football League in July 2010.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
punter for the Omaha Nighthawks
Omaha Nighthawks
The Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
of the United Football League. He was signed by the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
.
Early years
Brantly went to school in East Bernard, TexasEast Bernard, Texas
East Bernard is a city in Wharton County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,729 at the 2000 census.-Geography:East Bernard is located at ....
, where his father, Jerry Brantly, served as an assistant coach under Dale Lechler, the father of NFL and former Texas A&M punter Shane Lechler
Shane Lechler
Edward Shane Lechler is an American football punter who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League. Lechler played college football for Texas A&M from 1996-1999. In the NFL, Lechler has been named an All-Pro eight times during his career...
. Shane and Justin were childhood friends and continue to be close. Justin later went to Sealy High School
Sealy High School
Sealy High School is a division 3A high school located in the town of Sealy, Texas, in Austin County, United States and is a part of the Sealy Independent School District. A new, multi-million dollar campus was constructed in 2005. In 2005 SHS struggled with unacceptable scores on the Texas...
in Sealy, Texas
Sealy, Texas
Sealy is a city in Austin County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 5,248 at the 2000 census. Sealy is located 50 miles west of the downtown Houston area.-Geography:...
, where he ran track and played basketball and baseball.
He was voted into the UIL
University Interscholastic League
The University Interscholastic League is an organization that creates rules for and administers almost all athletic, music, and academic contests for public primary and secondary schools in the American state of Texas....
All-Century Defensive Football Third Team.
Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
ranked him the 18th kicker prospect in the 2005 recruiting class. He chose to play for Texas A&M
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
over Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
due to the small-town atmosphere at A&M. He played in the 2005 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
.
College career
Brantly compiled a 44.3 career punting average, which ranks second in school history behind Shane LechlerShane Lechler
Edward Shane Lechler is an American football punter who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League. Lechler played college football for Texas A&M from 1996-1999. In the NFL, Lechler has been named an All-Pro eight times during his career...
's 44.7 set from 1996–99. Brantly punted 44 times inside the opponent's 20-yard line and recorded 57 career punts of more than 50 yards. He hit a career-best 80-yard punt against Colorado in 2005.
During his senior season, Brantly led the Big 12 and placed third nationally with a 45.7-yard average. He booted 18 of his 51 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line, and hit at least one punt of 50 or more yards in 10 of the 12 games.
After his senior season, he played in the Texas vs. The Nation Game
Texas vs. The Nation Game
The NFLPA Game is a post-season college football all-star game that was established in 2006 as the concluding game of the college football post-season. The game is currently played at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The game was previously known as the Texas vs...
on January 31, 2009.
College awards and honors
- 2005 Rivals.comRivals.comRivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
first team freshman All-American - 2006 Big 12 Honorable mention
- 2007 Second-team All-Big 12
- 2006, 2007, 2008 Ray Guy AwardRay Guy AwardThe Ray Guy Award is presented annually to college football's top punter by the Greater Augusta Sports Council. The award is named after punter Ray Guy, a former All-American at Southern Mississippi and an all-pro player for the Oakland Raiders.-Criteria:...
candidate - 2008 First-team Academic All-Big 12
- 2008 First-team All-Big 12 (League's coaches, Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Rivals.comRivals.comRivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
, Waco Tribune-HeraldWaco Tribune-HeraldThe Waco Tribune-Herald is an American daily newspaper serving Waco, Texas and vicinity.The newspaper has its roots in five different predecessors, beginning with the Waco Evening Telephone in 1892. The Tribune-Herald took its current identity when E.S...
, and College Football NewsCollege Football NewsCollege Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
); named to the second team by the Dallas Morning News and Houston ChronicleHouston ChronicleThe Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States... - 2008 Rivals.comRivals.comRivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
Second-team All-American - 2008 SI.com honorable mention All-American
- 2008 College Football News third-team All-American
Pre-draft
Brantly weighed 247 pounds and measured 6-foot-3 and 3/8 at the Texas A&M Pro Day on March 4, 2009.Houston Texans
Brantly was not drafted in the 2009 NFL Draft2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
, but later signed as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
with the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was released by the Texans in June 2009. He worked out with other teams during the 2009 regular season.
Omaha Nighthawks
Brantly signed with the Omaha NighthawksOmaha Nighthawks
The Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
of the United Football League in July 2010.