By Jack BarrettThe Dartmouth Staff
I sat down with Daniel Barstein '14 to talk about the life of a punter and football in Alabama.
I've heard you've got a pretty interesting story about getting started playing football. Talk a little bit about how you got noticed and started playing.
DB: In the 9th grade my friends lost a few football games because they didn't have a kicker. One of my buddies kept telling me I should play because he knew I had a big leg but I was too wrapped up with soccer. After I got sick of my friend trying to convince me to play I decided to give it a try. I went to the 9th grade practice one day and everyone was shocked when I kicked the football. After suiting up for the last 9th grade game, I got to play in the JV game and then the last varsity game. From then on I realized how much I loved football and wanted to stick with it.
How is kicking a soccer ball different than punting a football?
DB: Kicking a soccer ball and football is a lot [more] different than most people would think. Kicking a football is definitely harder because of the shape and size.
What's the punter's mentality on the sidelines? Obviously you don't need to be ready for contact and aren't involved in that many plays. How do you stay focused?
DB: A punter's mentality is different than the average football player's. I am not the one who gets jacked up before games and jumps around hitting people. My job is more technical and level headed. When I go out on the field, I have to be calm and relaxed so that I can do my job. I usually keep to myself in games and try not to get too involved or emotional. I like to stay calm and maybe joke around a little to release my nerves.
Is a punter's greatest fear being decked on returns? Or are you looking to lay somebody out?
DB: [Laughs.] Well I used to be scared of getting hit until it happened to me a couple times in high school and it wasn't that bad. I would like to say I am looking to jack someone up but I think some people would laugh when they read that. No, I would love to get some big hits, but I hope they never return it far enough for me to have to try. I don't really have too many fears back there, I am just focused on my job and getting a good punt off.
What's the most pressure you've felt in a kicking situation?
DB: In high school, we were losing by one with around a minute left to go in the game. They sent me out there for 35-yard kick or so after just missing a shorter kick earlier in the game. I was really nervous and felt so much pressure but I just trusted myself and made the kick. That was one of my favorite moments in my football career, until we gave up a 50-yard half back pass with 10 seconds left in the game to lose.
So when it comes down to it, how far is the longest bomb you can punt?
DB: I'm not entirely sure of the longest punt I've ever had. However, I had around a 62-yard punt [Saturday] versus Columbia, which is my longest in college and ties my career long, including high school.
How would you compare people's attitudes towards football in Alabama to how people feel about it in the Northeast? Is it equally as intense or no?
DB: Football is not quite as big up here as it is in the South, but the players and coaches take it just as serious which is all that matters. One of the biggest shocks so far of my Dartmouth career, coming from Alabama, was when I had to explain to some people how to play football and which positions did what. Let's just say in the South, the world revolves around football, so it is a little less intense up here.
It says on your DartmouthSports.com bio that you were in a Broadway show at age 12. What's that about?
DB: For our bio, we had to list something interesting about ourselves. I couldn't think of anything that great except for when I was in a Broadway show, it really wasn't a big deal. It was a show that took people from the audience to play small roles in the show and I got chosen despite my desire to not be up on stage.
I heard it was a seesaw battle against Columbia this weekend. But you guys pulled it out. How satisfying is it to beat a team like that on their own Homecoming?
DB: It was so satisfying to beat Columbia on their Homecoming. Their fans were obnoxious so it was great to shut them up.
You're a freshman, so obviously you haven't had to sit through the past couple of "lean" years for Dartmouth football. Did you ever perceive any trace of a losing environment when you got here? Or is this an entirely different team?
DB: I never experienced any kind of negative attitude or losing environment from the players or coaches. From the get go, the team has always been confident and said that this was a different team than last year, a bigger, stronger, faster and smarter team.
