Editor’s Note: While experiencing technical difficulties, several articles were wiped from the Collegian website. All articles wiped from the site will be republished as soon as possible.
Kansas State legend and recent College Football Hall of Fame inductee Darren Sproles will have his famous number 43 rocked by Jack Blumer again this year. The punter out of Marysville, Kansas, will begin his junior campaign after redshirting in 2018.
While Blumer has helped the Wildcats lead the Big 12 in net punting yards (39.2), he might be most famous for his celebrations. Standing at 6 foot 3 inches, Blumer was the placeholder for former kicker Blake Lynch — who was 5 foot 5 inches. After a made kick, the shorter Lynch would jump up to a fully extended Blumer.
At Marysville High School, Blumer was more than a punter. Named a first-team all-state quarterback by the Topeka Capital-Journal and Wichita Eagle his senior season, Blumer excelled through the air and on the ground.
As a senior, Blumer threw for a whopping 3,165 yards and 31 touchdowns while adding another 994 yards and 14 scores with his legs. These stats awarded him a top 11 player in the state spot by the Kansas Football Coaches Association and Sports in Kansas 3A Offensive Player of the Year.
Blumer led the Bulldogs to the state championship game as a senior before losing to future teammate Elliott Strahm, the Sports in Kansas 3A Defensive Player of the Year. Blumer was named East MVP of the 2018 Shrine Bowl with a play that included a 40-yard fake punt pass on fourth down.
Related:
Countdown to Kickoff: 44 days away with fullback Christian Moore
Along with his success in football, Blumer excelled in basketball, winning a state championship in 2016.
Initially signing to play at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska, Blumer walked on to K-State. With Marysville just an hour straight north of Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Blumer could stay close to home by playing with the Wildcats.
This past season at punter, splitting duties with Ty Zentner, Blumer had 24 punts with an average of 39 yards, including three that landed within the opponent’s 20-yard line and 14 fair catches. His longest punt came in the first game of the 2020 season with a 54 yarder against Arkansas State.
Blumer had the chance to show off his athletic ability in 2020 with a fake field goal run against Texas Tech in week three. On fourth-and-10, Blumer ran off the left tackle but could only muster up three yards before getting dragged down.
With Ty Zentner still around, the expectation is the two athletes will continue working alongside each other unless one out-performs the other. Blumer still presumes to be the placeholder for the coming season.
Blumer was named a 2020 First-Team Academic All-Big 12 athlete and is majoring in elementary education.
