2011-12 Football
Matt Rinehart
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Dover, Ohio
- High School:
- Dover
Career
• Career punting average of 41.8 is the highest in KSU history
• 269 punts are the second most in school history
2011 Senior Season
• Averaged 42.8 yards per punt on 83 attempts, the highest single season average in program history
• Carried streak of a punt of 50 yards or more in five straight games
• Had three punts that went 50 or more yards against Eastern Michigan
• Had a career-high 12 punts at Alabama, including three of 50 yards or more
• Added three more punts of 50 or more against Louisiana
• Named to Phil Steele's Preseason All-MAC Third Team
• Had a season-high 50.4 average on five punts at Ohio, including a 68-yard boot
• Was named National Punter Performer of the Week by College Football Performance Awards on Oct.9...punted six times for a 44.8 average, including a 65 yarder and two inside the 20 at Northern Illinois
• Earned Academic All-MAC honors
2010 Junior Season
• Earned All-MAC First Team honors for the second straight year
• Finished the year with a 42.7 yard average, the highest in school history
• Pinned 24 of his 67 punts inside the 20 yard line
• Named MAC Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 48.4 yards on seven punts against Temple
• Named MAC Special Teams Player of the Week after recording a career best 52-yard average on four punts against Ball State (Oct. 30)
• Named MAC Special Teams Player of the Week after pinning six punts inside the 20 against Akron (Oct. 9) and booted a season-long 64-yard punt
• Had a pair of punts over 50 yards in back-to-back games against Akron and Toledo
2009 Sophomore Season
• Turned in an outstanding sophomore campaign, earning a spot on the All-MAC first team — just the second Kent State punter to be so honored in 58 years in the conference
• Was also a first-team Academic All-MAC honoree
• Punted 74 times for an average of 40.9 yards to lead the MAC and post the fourth-best mark in school history
• Had a career-long 80-yard punt against Western Michigan Oct. 31 that was the second-longest effort in the nation in 2009 and the second-best effort in school history
• Pinned the opponent inside the 20-yard line 17 times, while he booming the ball over 50 yards 16 times
• Was a big reason KSU finished second in the MAC with a 35.8 net punting average
• Posted a 44.4 yard average on five punts at Ohio that included three of 50 yards or more
2008 Freshman Season
• Had a solid freshman campaign as team’s starting punter in all 12 games
• Was recipient of team’s Outstanding Special Teams Award
• Punted 49 times for 1,799 yards
• 40.0 average ranked seventh in the MAC
• Longest punt went for 55 yards
• Helped Flashes in field position battle with 18 punts that landed inside the opposition’s 20-yard line and six that went for 50-plus yards
• One of eight true freshmen to earn a varsity letter
Prior To Kent State
• Named first team All-Ohio, all-league, all-district and all-region his senior season at Dover High School
• Was also the player of the year in the region, district and league
• Garnered league kicker of the year honors for the second straight season
• Averaged 49.5 yards per punt
• Led the team with 122 points (11 TD, 41 XP, 5 FG)
• Made 72 receptions for 856 yards and six touchdowns
• Also had a successful junior campaign, earning special mention All-Ohio and first team all-league, all-district and all-region honors
• Averaged 41.9 yards per punt
• Coached by Dan Ifft
• Also lettered one year in baseball
Personal
• Born May 16, 1989 in Dover, Ohio
• Son of Ken and Jane Rinehart
• Has a sister, Libby, and a pair of brothers, Andy and Eric
• Majoring in nursing
