Big Green punter Scullin ‘09 has NFL aspirations
By Alix Peabody
Published on Thursday, January 29, 2009
Brian Scullin '09
Brian Scullin '09, punter for the Dartmouth football team, never thought that his football career would extend beyond his years at Dartmouth.
"If you look at my statistics from my freshman through junior seasons, [they] weren't there," said Scullin, who was recently named an honorable mention All-American by The Sports Network. "I just didn't have the confidence and the belief that I could do it."
Recently, however, scouts from various National Football League teams, such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, have been requesting Scullin's tapes and statistics.
"[Scouts] have contacted the coaches, who then relay the information to me," he said.
Although the New York Giants were rumored to have contacted Scullin, he claimed to have no knowledge of this occurring.
"I'm a Redskins guy. I wouldn't want to play in New York anyways," he said.
Scullin said his hopes for entering the NFL are not particularly high.
"They don't draft many punters, especially from the FCS level," he said.
Scullin said he attributes his recent success to his coaches, as well as his to his friends, teammates and family.
"We had a great punting scheme this year," he said. "I had some great athletes in front of me, so it couldn't have worked out better."
Scullin said that his strong friendship with Dartmouth's long-snapper, Josh Speicher '09 particularly contributed to his improvement.
"From my junior year to my senior year my average went up from 34.4 to 40.8 [yards per punt]," he said. "I felt good coming into the season, and I'm always willing to perform when called upon."
Professional football, however, is not the only possible road for Scullin. A native of the Washington, D.C. area, he expressed interest in working for the government. Scullin is a double major in history and religion.
"Religion was always important to me," he said. "Coming here I naturally took a few religion courses."
Scullin is currently focusing his studies on the Founding Fathers and their religious beliefs, or lack thereof. He is studying how those beliefs influenced the Bill of Rights, specifically the first amendment.
While Scullin said that, overall, he has enjoyed his time at Dartmouth and values his academic experience, he also said he initially struggled with the social atmosphere on campus. As a student who does not consume alcohol, Scullin was quick to point out the differences between himself and his classmates.
"It was tough at first," he said. "I think in that sense Dartmouth has helped me mature."
Scullin said his first days at Dartmouth were not easy. A week before his departure for football pre-season, his father suffered a heart attack and underwent a quadruple bypass surgery.
"Those were some tough circumstances to leave," he said. "Especially when my ride up was supposed to be with him."
Scullin said the experience was a character-defining moment.
"It's made me who I am," he said.
Since his freshman year at the College, Scullin has developed strong relationships that have also improved this experience.
"The relationships that I fostered this year, I wouldn't trade for the world," he said.
Scullin said he has high hopes for the coming years. He said he sees the current team as one full of friendly and hardworking athletes.
"While we didn't win a game this year, I think we set a standard for overall respect in the locker room," he said.
Scullin said he looks forward to the opportunities ahead.
"While I always had that childish goal of [playing professionally], I didn't truly believe it was possible until recently," he said.