Paxton Brooks signs with the Colts
Paxton Brooks has found a landing spot in the NFL. The VFL punter has signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Indianapolis Colts.
Brooks over five seasons at Tennessee averaged 42.3 yards per punt on 163 punts in 61 games, punting for exactly 6,900 yards. He averaged a career best 44.0 yards per punt on 45 punts in 2021 and averaged 39.1 yards per punt on 38 attempts in 13 games last season.
He took over as Tennessee’s full-time punter in 2019, kicking 30 times for an average of 42.0 yards per punt. He kicked 49 times over 10 games during the COVID-shortened season in 2020, averaging 43.6 yards per punt.
Brooks had just 10 touchbacks on the 61 punts. There were 68 punts that were a fair catch, 58 landed inside the 20-yard line and 32 went 50 or more yards. He only had one attempt blocked during his time with the Vols.
Brooks also kicked off for Tennessee, averaging 60.5 yards on 258 career kickoffs. He averaged a career-high 63.9 yards in 2021. He had 126 touchbacks and just six kicks that went out of bounds.
Tennessee had five players selected in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. Offensive tackle Darnell Wright went at No. 10 overall in the first round Thursday night to the Chicago Bears. Quarterback Hendon Hooker was next at No. 68 overall, taken by the Detroit Lions Friday night, the start of a run of four Vols selected in the third round.
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Wide receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman went with back-to-back picks. Hyatt was No. 73 overall, landing with the New York Giants, while Tillman went at No. 74 to the Cleveland Browns. The run ended with edge rusher Byron Young going to the Los Angeles Rams at No. 77 overall.
“These guys have put so much work into it,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said Thursday during an appearance on Ramon, Kayla and Will on 104.5-FM The Zone in Nashville. “You just think back to when I got here and what they’ve done for Tennessee football, flipping the culture, obviously flipping the trajectory.
“Now you get a chance to see them on the backend of their process as they prepare for the next step. These guys have handled it extremely well and cannot wait for the weekend, for tonight for some of our guys. There is nothing better than seeing kids realize their childhood dreams. It’s pretty cool.”
Tennessee had five players picked in the 2022 NFL Draft — the most since 2017 — between the second and sixth rounds. There were two Vols picked in both 2020 and 2021 and three picked in 2018.
