Jack Jacob Camarda (born April 20, 1999) is an American professional football punter. He previously played college football at Georgia and was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Year in 2020 before being selected by the Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft.[1]

Jake Camarda
Personal information
Born: (1999-04-20) April 20, 1999 (age 25)
Norcross, Georgia, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:193 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school:Norcross
College:Georgia (2018–2021)
Position:Punter
NFL draft:2022 / round: 4 / pick: 133
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 6, 2024
Punts:169
Punting yards:8,302
Punting average:49.1
Longest punt:74
Inside 20:53
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Camarda attended Norcross High School in Norcross, Georgia. As a senior he punted 37 times in 10 games with an average 46.2 yards per punt; his longest punt was 65 yards.[2] He was ranked as a 3-star recruit and the best punter in the class of 2018.[3] He committed to Georgia on April 22, 2017, over the likes of Kentucky and Rutgers.[3]

College career

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As a true freshman at Georgia in 2018, Camarda appeared in 13 games recording 43 punts for 1,830 yards, averaging 42.6 yards.[4] In Camarda's sophomore season, he played in 14 games totaling 61 punts for 2,857 yards, averaging 46.8 yards.[4] As a junior in 2020, Camarda recorded 36 punts for 1,677 yards with an average of 46.6 yards.[4] He was named the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Special Teams Player of the Year and was selected to the First-team All-SEC.[5] Camarda decided to come back for a senior season in 2021 rather than to enter the 2021 NFL draft. In Camarda's senior season, he played in 15 games having 47 punts for 2,197 yards with an average of 46.7 yards. He was named to the First-team All-SEC for a second straight season.[6] Camarda declared for the 2022 NFL draft on January 17, 2022, one week after winning the National Championship.[7]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split
6 ft 1+18 in
(1.86 m)
193 lb
(88 kg)
30+12 in
(0.77 m)
9+12 in
(0.24 m)
4.56 s 1.53 s 2.62 s
All values from NFL Combine[8][9]

Camarda was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round (133rd overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.[10] On June 9, 2022, he signed his rookie contract.[11] Camarda was named the National Football Conference (NFC) Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in Week 9, where he kicked a franchise-tying 74-yard punt, while also placing four of his six punts inside the 20-yard line.[12] As a rookie, Camarda appeared in all 17 games and finished with a 48.85 average on 79 punts.[13]

In Week 2 of the 2023 season, Camarda was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, becoming the first Buccaneer player to have won the title twice in franchise history.[14] He was additionally named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September.[15] In the 2023 season, he had 77 punts for 3,854 yards for a 50.05 average.[16]

On October 22, 2024, Camarda was released by the Buccaneers in favor of Trenton Gill.[17]

References

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  1. ^ Austin, Brooks (December 22, 2020). "Jake Camarda Named SEC Special Teams Player of the Year". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  2. ^ "Jake Camarda's High School Football Stats". MaxPreps.com. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Jake Camarda, Georgia Bulldogs, Punter". 247Sports. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Jake Camarda College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  5. ^ Hammock, Will (December 22, 2020). "Norcross grad Jake Camarda named SEC Special Teams Player of the Year, finalist for Ray Guy Award". Gwinnett Daily Post. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  6. ^ Morgan, James (December 8, 2021). "10 Georgia Bulldogs make All-SEC teams, voted by league coaches". University of Georgia Wire. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  7. ^ Patel, Parth (January 17, 2022). "Punter Jake Camarda declares for NFL Draft". The Red and Black. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  8. ^ "Jake Camarda Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  9. ^ "2022 Draft Scout Jake Camarda, Georgia NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  10. ^ Schwartz, Amy (April 30, 2022). "Buccaneers Select Jake Camarda with the 133rd Pick of the 2022 NFL Draft". Buccaneers.com. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  11. ^ "Punter Jake Camarda Signs Rookie Deal". Buccaneers.com. June 9, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  12. ^ Gordon, Grant (November 9, 2022). "Bears QB Justin Fields, Bengals RB Joe Mixon lead Players of the Week". NFL.com. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  13. ^ "Jake Camarda 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  14. ^ Smith, Scott (September 20, 2023). "Jake Camarda Wins Second NFC Player of the Week Award". Buccaneers.com. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  15. ^ Smith, Scott (September 28, 2023). "Jake Camarda Snags NFC Special Teams Player of the Month Award". Buccaneers.com. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  16. ^ "Jake Camarda 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  17. ^ Smith, Scott (October 22, 2024). "Bucs Waive Third-Year Punter Jake Camarda". Buccaneers.com.
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