Even with the season over, former Ball State punter Scott Kovanda is still busy with football.
The athletic department announced Kovanda was named to participate in the 2013 National Football League Players Association Collegiate Bowl on Jan. 19 in Carson, Calif. The game will be played at the Home Depot Center, which is on the campus of California State University.
There will be events in the week leading up to the bowl that will help players in the game adjust to the NFL. Players will be taught the business of football and learn how to succeed while in and after the NFL.
Several former pro football players and coaches will help the participants. Former coaches Herm Edwards and Dick Vermeil will coach the two teams. Players that will be in attendance include Terrell Davis, Hank Baskett and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
Kovanda has already been invited to the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine in February and was a finalist for the 2012 Ray Guy Award for the nation’s best punter.
In his senior season, Kovanda punted 47 times, 27 of which were pinned inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Only six of his punts were returned. He had a net total of 1,767 yards and an average of 40.2 yards on the season.
Kovanda also had six punts that went further than 50 yards.
In his career, Kovanda had 223 punts for 9,154 yards, which put him fourth in Ball State history for career punt yardage. He was also fourth in career punts and third in career punt average.
Kovanda continues a streak of Ball State punters that have had a chance to compete beyond the school. Former Ball State punters Brad Maynard and Reggie Hodges of the Cleveland Browns are two of the most notable punters from the school,
