BOONE, N.C. — Special teams play a significant role in winning or losing.
Don't discount the contributions connected to covering kicks or blocking on returns.
App State's success on special teams has led to record-breaking accomplishments from kicker
Chandler Staton and returner
Jalen Virgil. Veterans such as
Logan Doublin,
Tyler Bird and
Jourdan Heilig have been omnipresent pieces of the puzzle, paving the way for return touchdowns and preventing long returns from the opposition.
Bird, Heilig and Doublin have each totaled more than 240 special teams plays while participating on all four change-of-possession units — kickoff coverage, kickoff return, punt coverage and punt return. Doublin has received recognition this week from a newly formed National Special Teams Player of the Year Foundation, as he is tied for second place nationally with 11 special teams tackles (eight solo) and has a PFF College coverage grade of 91.6 that ranks third among FBS players who have participated on special teams throughout the season.
In Boone, the special teams units coordinated by
Brian Haines are often a high-quality mix of starting defenders who do more to show added value — both to the Mountaineers and prospective NFL teams — and reserves who are also productive when they have opportunities to take the field on defense or offense.
Consider that App State has allowed only two kickoff returns of 30-plus yards this season and ranks 36th nationally by giving up just 18.8 yards per kick return (while ranking in the top 10 by averaging more than 27 yards on its returns). The Mountaineers rank in the top 30 in fewest punt return yards allowed this season (54 in 13 games) and yards allowed per punt return (4.5).
D'Marco Jackson, the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, and
T.D. Roof, another defensive starter, are staples on App State's punt and kickoff coverage units, as are
Hansky Paillant and
Nick Ross. Recent NFL draft picks Akeem Davis-Gaither and
Shemar Jean-Charles were All-America defenders for the Mountaineers, but they were also attractive to NFL teams because of their special teams roles and have been key figures on special teams for Cincinnati and Green Bay, respectively.
App State's linebacker depth shows with the multi-faceted, four-unit work of Doublin, Bird and Heilig, while safety
Jackson Greene has also played regularly on all four kickoff/punt units.
Anderson Castle and
KeSean Brown have been key members on three of those groups.
Bird, who has played in 52 career games, and Doublin have combined to force three fumbles this season, working together on one during an East Carolina kickoff return in a season-opening win. With both players possessing season-long PFF defensive grades above 80.0 in limited duty, they've produced big plays, with Bird recording a sack at Arkansas State and Doublin following that with a sack for a 7-yard loss at Troy.
A year after his nine special teams stops ranked No. 8 nationally, Heilig has been credited with five this season, tied with Bird and Brown for the second-highest total on the team.
Hard-hitting moments like those mix well with scenes like the one that played out on Senior Day.
Benefiting from several blocks, Virgil broke free for a 97-yard touchdown on a kickoff return against Georgia Southern. He was still 20 yards from the end zone when a group of three trailing teammates, including Heilig, raised their arms triumphantly to celebrate the soon-to-be score.
It was a frame-worthy image in which each blocker had earned their spot in the shot.
