Hillsdale senior Jack Shannon has been one of the top punters in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference since earning the starting job as a freshman in 2017.
In the spring 2021 season, however, the Huntertown, Indiana native has been record-setting.
Shannon was named the G-MAC Football Special Teams Player of the Week for the week of March 29 through April 5, the conference office announced on Monday, after setting a new G-MAC record in the Chargers' 28-7 loss to visiting Tiffin on April 3. It's the first G-MAC Player of the Week honor of Shannon's career.
Shannon punted five times for 242 yards and an average of 48.4 yards per punt against the Dragons, setting a new G-MAC record for yards per punt in a single game in the process. His long of 64 yards on the day is the second-longest punt in the G-MAC this season and tied for the eighth longest in conference history. For the season, Shannon is averaging 47.2 yards per punt, a mark that leads the G-MAC by nearly eight full yards per attempt.
A 2018 honorable mention All-G-MAC punter, Shannon has increased his yards per punt every year, from a still-impressive 38 yard average in 2017 as a freshman to the current 47.2 mark this season. One-third of his punts have pinned opponents inside the 20 in 2021, helping ensure the Chargers have an edge in the field position battle in every contest they play.
Shannon and Hillsdale will be back in action this Saturday as the Chargers travel to Walsh for a 1 p.m. kickoff, looking to snap a four-game losing streak dating back to 2019.
Photo by Steve Southerington