Matt Bosher hopes to get drafted this week

Matt Bosher is rated the third-best player at his position heading into this week's NFL Draft.

That would assure Bosher of a pretty big payday if he played quarterback, defensive line or just about any other position.

But Bosher, a four-year letterman at the University of Miami by way of Jupiter High, is a punter. In the 2010 draft, only three punters were selected and none was chosen higher than the fifth round. In the past five drafts, a total of 23 punters and place-kickers were picked.

"I don't know," Bosher said when asked if he expected to be selected. "Kickers and punters are a weird position when it comes to the draft. You can only be hopeful that you've done enough in your career and in the couple of months leading up to the draft to get drafted.

"If not, you keep working hard and hope you get picked up."

Bosher did plenty during his UM career. He served as the Hurricanes' punter in each of his four seasons, place-kicked for three seasons and was the team's kickoff specialist the last two years.

Bosher connected on 84.9 percent (45 of 53) of his field-goal attempts at Miami and ranks among the all-time leaders in several kicking categories, but he said that most NFL teams are looking at him as a punter. He averaged 41.7 yards at UM and was a second-team All-ACC selection as a punter in each of the past two seasons.

Bosher was one of three punters invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in February.

"If I'm not drafted, it's not over," said Bosher, who is represented by Boca Raton-based agent Glenn Schwartzman. "I just want to play with a team. I don't care how I get there."

Bosher is one of three UM players with Palm Beach County roots who might be drafted this week.

Offensive lineman Orlando Franklin, from Atlantic High, is expected to go in the first couple of rounds. Running back Damien Berry, the Hurricanes' leading rusher last season from Belle Glade, is seen as a low-round pick or free agent.



(palmbeachpost.com)