Jeremy Boone is making sure he does not have any regrets when the calendar flips to 2010. Boone continues to exhibit great leadership, productivity and pride on and off the field and is making sure he gets the most out of his Penn State experience. Boone[apos]s strong, accurate leg and instincts have allowed him to lead the Big Ten in punting the past two seasons. He owns two of the four best school season punting averages and is on target to become Penn State[apos]s career leader with a 43.02-yard average, narrowly ahead of George Reynolds (1980-83). A candidate for the 2009 Ray Guy Award and post-season athletic honors, Boone also should be a strong contender for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® accolades. He graduated in May, earning a perfect 4.00 grade-point average during spring semester to finish with a 3.56 GPA. The Dean[apos]s List student received his degree in elementary and kindergarten education and was a student teacher at Gray[apos]s Woods Elementary School in State College last spring. This fall, he plans to be a substitute teacher in the State College Area School District for a couple days a week to further his experience. One of Penn State[apos]s most accomplished student-athletes, Boone was selected by the NCAA to represent Penn State at the National Student-Athlete Development Conference two weeks after he graduated. Boone also is one of the squad[apos]s most out-going and service-oriented members, participating in the Student-Athlete Advisory Board[apos]s Penn Pal program and Student-Athlete Shadow Day, THON Make-A-Wish program, Pennsylvania Special Olympics State Summer Games, Habitat for Humanity and other events. He volunteered at the bowling competition at the 2009 Special Olympics Summer Games, held every June on the Penn State campus. The former Mechanicsburg Area Senior HS all-stater has been a model of consistency and production the past two seasons. His prowess has been critical in helping the Nittany Lions win the field position battle with his strong leg, hang time and accuracy. His skills and strength allow Boone to loft the ball high into the air, limiting the return game for the opponents. Penn State ranked in the Top 15 nationally in net punting and punt return yardage defense in 2008. Boone also is the holder on all placements, working with snapper Andrew Pitz to greatly assist placekicker Kevin Kelly to a record-breaking season and career. Boone didn[apos]t see as much action last season as in 2007 -- which he was more than OK with. The 2007 first-team All-Big Ten punter, he didn[apos]t have enough punts last year to be nationally ranked, but his average would be among the nation[apos]s Top 20. Boone, who came to Penn State as a walk-on, plays a critical role in the success of the Nittany Lion defense and is poised to have another outstanding season. Boone was among the program-record seven ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District® honorees in 2008 and also was selected Academic All-Big Ten for the second consecutive year.
2008 Senior Season
Boone led the Big Ten in punting for the second consecutive season, finishing with another superb effort as he averaged 47.8 yards on his four punts against Southern California in the 2009 Rose Bowl, including a long of 56 yards. For the season, he averaged 43.0 yards per punt with a long of 57. Boone placed 15 of his 39 punts inside the 20-yard line and forced nine fair catches with good hang times to greatly assist the Nittany Lions[apos] Top 10 defense. He played a big role in the opposition returning only 12 punts for 64 yards last season (5.3 avg.) and helping Penn State rank in the Top 15 nationally in net punting and punt return yardage defense. He didn[apos]t have enough punts to be nationally ranked, but his average would be among the nation[apos]s Top 20. Boone finished the regular-season strong, averaging 46.7 yards on his three kicks in the Big Ten-clinching win over Michigan State, with a long of 50, and placing two of his three punts inside the 20-yard line. The week prior, against Indiana, Boone punted twice for a season-high average of 51.5 and hustled downfield, combining with snapper Andrew Pitz, to down a Kelly pooch punt at the one-yard line. In the crucial 13-6 win at Ohio State, Boone averaged 43.5 yards on four punts, with a long of 48, and had three kicks downed inside the 20. He punted just seven times in the initial three games. Boone punted three times in the 45-14 thumping of Oregon State, averaging 46.7 yards per punt with a season-long of 57. He delivered a 53-yard punt against Temple and pinned the Owls deep in their own territory with a perfectly placed punt that was downed at the two-yard line. In the 48-7 win at Wisconsin, Boone punted four times, averaging 44.8 yards per kick, with a long of 49. He pinned the Badgers inside their 20 three times. He punted three times in the 46-17 drubbing of Michigan, averaging 44.7 yards per punt, with a long of 52. Boone was among the program-record seven ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District® honorees in 2008 and also was selected Academic All-Big Ten for the second consecutive year. He compiled a 3.89 grade-point average last fall and a perfect 4.00 GPA during the 2009 spring semester to gain Dean[apos]s List honors.
2007 Junior Season
Boone earned the starting assignment in the spring and emerged as one of the nation[apos]s top punters. Playing in every game, he averaged 43.0 yards on his 59 punts, which was the third-best figure in Penn State season history. He led the Big Ten in punting and was 19th in the nation, earning first-team all-conference honors from the coaches and media. Only five of his punts resulted in a touchback and he dropped 25 punts inside the opposition[apos]s 20-yard line. The Nittany Lions[apos] opponents[apos] averaged just 5.3 yards on 20 punt returns. Thanks to the efforts of Boone and the punt coverage unit, Penn State led the Big Ten and was No. 3 in the nation in net punting at 41.1 yards per kick. In his first game, Boone averaged 47.4 yards on five punts against Florida International, including three kicks of more than 50 yards, with a long of 54 yards and the first of many punts to be downed inside the 20-yard line. He averaged 43.2 yards on six punts in the 31-10 win over Notre
Dame, with two downed inside the 20. At Illinois, Boone knocked four punts for a 48.2 average, including a career-best 70-yarder, which tied for seventh-longest in school history. In the 27-7 win over Iowa, he averaged 44.8 yards on five punts, including three kicks downed inside the 20. On five punts at Indiana, Boone averaged 45.2 yards. He delivered a 68-yard effort in the final minutes, with the kick being downed at the Hoosiers[apos] five in the big road win. The punt was tied for 12th-longest in Penn State annals. In the Senior Day win over Purdue, four of his kicks landed inside the 20. Against Texas A&M in the Valero Alamo Bowl, Boone averaged 51.4 yards on five kicks, with a long of 55 yards, to break the school punting average record in a bowl game. The previous mark was a 51.0 average by Chris Clauss in the 1988 Citrus Bowl against Clemson. Boone made the Dean[apos]s List during the 2007 spring semester and earned Academic All-Big Ten and Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars honors.
2006 Sophomore Season
Boone continued to work hard and improve, but did not see any game action as the top reserve to senior Jeremy Kapinos, a finalist for the Ray Guy Award and a third-team All-American.
2005 Freshman Season
Redshirt season.
High School
Boone was a versatile and accomplished athlete at Mechanicsburg Area Senior HS, playing football, baseball and basketball. A two-year starter for Coach Rich Lichtel on the gridiron, he not only punted, but also played receiver and safety. In his senior season, he was named an all-state punter, while also making 84 catches for 1,080 yards and six touchdowns. He recorded 44 tackles and four interceptions as a safety, helping the Wildcats[apos] run to the district championship game. Boone was named to the all-conference teams in all three sports, was the Most Valuable Player on the baseball team and served as team captain of the basketball and baseball teams.
Personal
Full name is Jeremy Allen Boone. He is the son of David and Sylvia Boone and has an older brother, Shawn, and an older sister, Kimberly. Boone received his degree in elementary and kindergarten education in May 2009, posting a 4.00 grade-point average during the spring semester to bring a 3.56 cumulative GPA into the summer session. He was selected to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District® team, earned Academic All-Big Ten honors twice and Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars recognition in 2007. He enjoys traveling and spending time with friends. Born September 15, 1986.
Boone[apos]s 2008 Game-by-Game
Punting (Punts-Yards-Average)
Coastal Carolina 1-46-46.0; Oregon State 3-140-46.7; Syracuse 3-120-40.0; Temple 4-159-39.8; Illinois 1-37-37; Purdue 4-146-36.5; Wisconsin 4-179-44.8; Michigan 3-134-44.7; Ohio State 4-174-43.5; Iowa 3-109-36.3; Indiana 2-103-51.5; Michigan State 3-140-46.7; USC 4-191-47.8.
Boone[apos]s 2007 Game-by-Game
Punting (Punts-Yards-Average)
Florida International 5-237-47.4; Notre Dame 6-259-43.2; Buffalo 2-88-44.0; Michigan 5-204-40.8; Illinois 4-193-48.2; Iowa 5-224-44.8; Wisconsin 4-161-40.2; Indiana 5-226-45.2; Ohio State 4-154-38.5; Purdue 5-189-37.8; Temple 3-122-40.7; Michigan State 6-224-37.3; Texas A&M 5-257-51.4.