Aggies punter aims to follow in steps of early mentor

Aggies punter aims to follow in steps of early mentor
COLLEGE STATION — Justin Brantly hasn't lived in East Bernard since he was a child. But the Southeast Texas town's old schoolhouse still stands out in the Texas A&M senior punter's memory.
“It's up on cinder blocks, with wooden hallways that creak when you walk through it,” Brantly says, smiling. “But right when you walk in, there are two NFL Jerseys on display: Shane Lechler and Michael Bankston.
“It's really something.”
Bankston and Lechler are former East Bernard pupils who moved on to standout college and pro careers.
Now Brantly should earn his chance to add to the collection.
“He punts the heck out of the football,” first-year A&M coach Mike Sherman says of Brantly, who excelled at Sealy High after moving from East Bernard. “Sometimes he's out-punting us, and we can only get down there so fast to cover the distance.”
In a season of transition and among a weedy roster, Brantly stands strong as A&M's top NFL prospect — and potentially as A&M's first All-American since defensive back Jason Webster and Lechler managed the feat in 1999.
Brantly's father, Jerry, coached Lechler at East Bernard, and the early 1990s are etched in the memory of Brantly.
“I was a ballboy on the sidelines and watched Shane play all throughout junior high and high school,” Brantly says. “Shane and his brother, Derek, both babysat me when they were in high school. I've followed in Shane's footsteps — he led me this way.”
Lechler, now an All-Pro with the Oakland Raiders, set the NCAA record for career punt average (44.7) in the late 1990s at A&M. That played a big part in Brantly's decision to choose the Aggies over Southern California four years ago.
Sherman, a former Green Bay Packers head coach, was an assistant at A&M during Lechler's first two years in College Station, then crossed paths with him in the NFL over the next decade.
“Both guys are very similar personality-wise,” Sherman says of the longtime family friends. “They both hunt, fish and are country guys. Before this season, I would have said that Shane has a stronger leg than Justin, but the way Brantly has been punching it out there, it's very comparable.”
Brantly, who is 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, ranks as the nation's No. 4 active punter with a 44.3 per punt career average. He leads the Big 12 and ranks third nationally with a 47.1 yard per punt average through five games.
When his playing days are finished — no matter the level — Brantly says he wouldn't mind returning home.
Back to the small-town atmosphere he loves — another reason he chose A&M over USC.
“I'd like to be a high school coach,” he says, smiling. “I've got a little brother and two younger sisters. Maybe I could go back and be their coach.”