The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

Posted: **Tue Mar 09, 2004 5:50 pm**

http://redskins.com/story.asp?ContentID=12583

Tupa Signing Is Official
03/09/2004

By Gary Fitzgerald
Redskins.com

The Redskins completed the signing of veteran punter Tom Tupa on Tuesday. He had spent two days at Redskins Park last week but officially signed his contract Tuesday.

Tupa has consistently shown himself to be one of the NFL's most talented and successful punters. A versatile athlete with both Pro Bowl and Super Bowl experience, he has also seen NFL action at quarterback.

A 15-year NFL veteran, Tupa has played in 203 career games with 13 starts, spending the past two years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He previously spent three seasons each with the Jets (1999-2001), New England Patriots (1996-98) and Cleveland Browns (1993-95) after spending one season with the Indianapolis Colts (1992).

Tupa started his NFL career with the then-Phoenix Cardinals, spending his first four years with the franchise (1988-91). Tupa has punted 770 times during his career for a 43.3 gross average and a 35.4 net average, recording a 73-yard long. 193 of his punts have been inside-the-20.

Tupa has been to the postseason four times, logging 58 punts for 2,356 yards for a 40.6 gross average and a 32.6 net. He has also logged time at quarterback as a pro, starting 13 games and completing 259-of-506 passes for 3,340 yards and 12 touchdowns.

With the Bucs last season, Tupa punted 83 times for 3,590 yards with 43.3 gross average and a 35.9 net average, with a long of 60 yards. He finished the season ranked third in the NFC with a 43.3-yard average, the best single-season average in team history. He also ranked fifth in the NFC with punts inside-the-20 (26) and was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week following the Bucs win over Atlanta in Week 3. He is Tampa Bay's all-time gross punting average leader (min. 100 attempts) with a 43.0 average.

Tupa had his best season a pro in 1999 with the Jets, earning his first invitation to the Pro Bowl. He had 81 punts for 3,659 yards with a 45.2 gross average and a 38.2 net. He also had seven touchbacks, 25 punts inside-the-20 and a long of 69-yards. Tupa played with Redskins placekicker John Hall for three seasons while he was with the New York Jets, serving as placement holder on all kicks.

A native of Cleveland, Tupa originally entered the league as a third round selection (68th overall) by the then-Phoenix Cardinals in the 1988 NFL Draft. He was a four-year starter (1984-87) at quarterback and punter at Ohio State. He ranks as the school's all-time leading punter with a 44.7-yard career average on 214 punts.

Tupa also finished his Buckeye career completing 171-of-304 passes for 2,252 yards with 15 touchdowns.

Posted: **Tue Mar 09, 2004 6:19 pm**

This doesn't bode well for Tim Hasselbeck. If I had a punter on my team who could conceivably play quarterback in an emergency, I wouldn't waste a roster spot on a third-string quarterback.

I could see bringing Hasselbeck or Gibran Hamdan to camp so they could learn the system just in case you had to sign someone in mid-season. But if Tupa can play a few series and at least get you out of a game, I'd make him my third stringer. Frankly, I thought we should have signed him last year for precisely this reason.

Posted: **Tue Mar 09, 2004 6:24 pm**

While I see your logic and have thought about him being 4th stringer, it is VERY unlikely to happen. But it would be pretty funny is we got to see Tom take a few from behind center! ROTFALMAO

Posted: **Tue Mar 09, 2004 8:15 pm**

Jeff Rhodes stepped in a big pile of it when he wrote: If I had a punter on my team who could conceivably play quarterback in an emergency, I wouldn't waste a roster spot on a third-string quarterback.

I could see bringing Hasselbeck or Gibran Hamdan to camp so they could learn the system just in case you had to sign someone in mid-season.

Jeffy, my man...I hope for all our sakes that Joe is smarter than this. Gruden, et.al would snap this guy up off the practice squad to find out what Gibbs' "new look" offense is all about. They wouldn't wait until mid-season, either. Have you seen Sage Rosenfelds on the field much in Miami ? How familiar did Miami look against us this year ? :oops:

Plus, it's likely that you've never seen Tupa throw on an extended basis. You'd have to go back to the 1991 Cards, still in Phoenix. He was replaced the very next year (full-time) by Chris Chandler. (It should be noted that this was Joe Bugel's team. Ken Harvey and Larry Centers were both there with him. That year, we beat Phoenix 34-0, and 20-14 on the way to beating the Bills in the SuperBowl with Gibbs at the helm.) Here's some info for you.
PASSING

Year Team G GS Att Comp Pct Yards YPA Lg TD Int Tkld 20+ 40+ Rate
1988 Phoenix Cardinals 2 0 6 4 66.7 49 8.17 22 0 0 1/11 1 0 91.7
1989 Phoenix Cardinals 14 2 134 65 48.5 973 7.26 77 3 9 14/94 15 2 52.2
1990 Phoenix Cardinals 15 0 0 0 --- 0 --- 0 0 0 0/0 0 0 ---
1991 Phoenix Cardinals 11 11 315 165 52.4 2053 6.52 62 6 13 24/197 22 5 62.0
1992 Indianapolis Colts 3 0 33 17 51.5 156 4.73 19 1 2 5/40 0 0 49.6
1994 Cleveland Browns 16 0 0 0 --- 0 --- 0 0 0 0/0 0 0 ---
1995 Cleveland Browns 16 0 1 1 100.0 25 25.00 25 0 0 0/0 1 0 118.8
1996 New England Patriots 16 0 2 0 0.0 0 0.00 0 0 0 0/0 0 0 39.6
1997 New England Patriots 16 0 0 0 --- 0 --- 0 0 0 0/0 0 0 ---
1998 New England Patriots 16 0 0 0 --- 0 --- 0 0 0 0/0 0 0 ---
1999 New York Jets 16 0 11 6 54.5 165 15.00 65 2 0 3/30 3 2 139.2
2000 New York Jets 16 0 0 0 --- 0 --- 0 0 0 0/0 0 0 ---
2001 New York Jets 15 0 1 1 100.0 9 9.00 9 0 0 0/0 0 0 104.2
2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16 0 1 0 0.0 0 0.00 0 0 1 0/0 0 0 0.0
2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16 0 0 0 --- 0 --- 0 0 0 0/0 0 0 ---
TOTAL 204 13 504 259 51.4 3430 6.81 77 12 25 47/372 42 9 60.5

Posted: **Tue Mar 09, 2004 8:50 pm**

I thought Rod Gardner was our 3rd stringer?

Posted: **Tue Mar 09, 2004 9:25 pm**

DEHog wrote:I thought Rod Gardner was our 3rd stringer?

EndHog, you're the worst ! :ROTFALMAO:

Posted: **Wed Mar 10, 2004 12:16 am**

i don't exactly feel comfortable with tupa. i mean i could probably do better than what barker did, but i don't think tupa is all that. maybe i'm just cautious.

Posted: **Wed Mar 10, 2004 7:25 am**

DE Hog, I thought YOU were the #3 man.....

Or was I mistaken?

Posted: **Wed Mar 10, 2004 8:48 pm**

there are alot of high school punters who could do better than barker did