38 Days to Miami football: Jeff Feagles HOF Punter

Punter Jeff Feagles joined the Miami football team in 1985 from the Scottsdale community college Artichokes. Feagles went on to become the most prolific punter in National Football League history.

Jeff Feagles averaged 39.2 yards per punt during his three seasons with the Miami football program. Feagles’ net punting numbers were more impressive than his average. In 1987 only 12 of Feagles 34 punts were returned for a total of fewer than 100 yards. Feagles did his part in the Hurricanes’ loss in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl.

Playing in his home state, Feagles averaged 46 yards per punt in Miami’s 14-7 loss to Penn State for the National Championship. Feagles set a Miami record average for punting in a bowl game and was named to the 1980s All-Decade first-team for the Fiesta Bowl. Following his Miami career, Feagles became a record-setting NFL punter.

Feagles signed as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots in 1988. Averaging 38.3 yards per punt in the first of two seasons with New England, Feagles was named to the All-rookie team. Feagles played 22 seasons in the NFL through 2009. Feagles was selected to the Pro Bowl following the 1995 and 2008 seasons.

Feagles earned a ring after winning Superbowl XLII in his 21st season in the NFL and sixth with the New York Giants following the 2007 season. Feagles also spent part of his NFL career with Arizona, Seattle and Philadelphia. Feagles holds numerous NFL records. Most of those attributable to longevity.

Feagles holds NFL records for most career punting yards, total punts, punts inside the 20, and has played in an NFL record 352 consecutive games. Feagles son Zach punted for Miami in 2017 and 2018 before transferring to Rutgers. Zach averaged 38.7 yards per punt. His ineffective sought Miami to add Louis Hedley.

Zach Feagles and the Miami football team parted ways amicably. After redshirting with the Scarlet Knights in 2019, Zach will have two seasons of eligibility remaining with Rutgers beginning in 2020. Jeff Feagles was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.