THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 4, 1995 TAG: 9508040627
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FROSTBURG, MD. LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines
They are pro football's migrant workers.
Each summer, dozens of punters wander from NFL camp to camp, putting their best feet forward. Two of them, Kent Sullivan and Matt Turk, have found their way to the Washington Redskins, who have a void to fill with Reggie Roby now in Tampa.
Keeping track of what Sullivan calls his ``career'' can make you dizzy. In 1989, he was signed as a free agent by the Chicago Bears. He was released at the end of training camp, but re-signed by them in 1990, only to be released again.
In 1991, he punted for San Antonio of the World League of American Football. He signed with Houston after the '91 World season and kicked in the Oilers' season-opener, then was released.
He finished a second season with San Antonio, then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, who cut him in training camp. But the Chiefs re-signed him in December, and he punted in one game - a victory that sealed a K.C. playoff berth - before being waived.
He began the '93 season with San Francisco, was released, was signed by San Diego and kicked in two games before being cut on Oct. 15. He signed with the Oilers again one month later, punted in one game and was waived. San Diego re-signed him again in December, but he was on the inactive list for one game before they released him.
Sullivan's pro totals: five games, 24 punts, 967 yards, 49.3-yard average and more air miles than Apollo 13. Saturday in a place he knows well - Kansas City - Sullivan will start yet another stab at putting down roots.
``In the past, I was always a guy called in when someone was hurt,'' Sullivan said. ``This time, because Roby is gone, I thought I was in a real good opportunity to keep the job.''
Turk doesn't have nearly as ambitious a resume. He's only had one tryout each with the Green Bay Packers in '93 and the Los Angeles Rams a year ago. He's never had an official NFL punt.
``I've always been the guy who was cut because someone else had more experience,'' Sullivan said. ``Maybe this time that'll work to my advantage.''
Not that experience has mattered thus far. Sullivan and Turk enter Saturday night's game even in the coaches' eyes.
``The competition has been fantastic,'' said coach Norv Turner. ``These guys are incredibly even and I think it's going to be several weeks before we can make a decision.''
Sullivan averaged 51 yards on three punts against Pittsburgh in last Saturday's scrimmage. That figure was inflated slightly by a wind-aided 61-yarder. Turk averaged 45.3 yards, and was the soul of consistency with kicks of 45, 46 and 45 yards.
``I've never really thought about the fact that this could be my job,'' said Turk, whose older brother, Dan, is a long snapper for the Oakland Raiders and worked hours with Matt during the offseason. ``This is where the Lord wanted me to be. Hopefully, I'll be a Redskin this season. I'll go out and do my best and take it from there.''
One of Roby's problems with Washington was that he couldn't - or wouldn't - kick directionally. Special-teams coaches like to kick to one side of the field, making return men easier to cover. Too many of Roby's boots were down the middle.
``That's all I've worked on since March,'' Turk said. ``My brother told me that would be one way I could help myself make it.''
Perhaps because they have had so little success, neither man talks like he is burning to have a career in football.
Sullivan says he supplements his income by working in his family's Texas gym and by teaching punting ``wherever I wind up at the time.'' He even consulted with some confidants this offseason on whether he should continue trying to salvage an NFL career.
``They all told me not to give up,'' Sullivan said. ``They said I have the ability to make it. I believe it.''
Turk has worked as a bartender in the sports bar another brother runs inside Milwaukee County Stadium.
``I'll pray about it if it doesn't happen,'' he said. ``I could go teach school; that's what I went to college for.''
Clearly, both feel they are part of a unique fraternity of nearly-good-enough athletes who pop up in NFL towns whenever a team's top leg goes down.
``We run into each other all the time,'' Sullivan said. ``It's like, `Hi, what have you been doing? Where you been?' ''
But there are occasions when the understudy takes over the show. There are three ex-WLAF punters currently in the NFL: Louis Aguiar in Kansas City, Tom Rouen in Denver and Chris Mohr in Buffalo.
``There are a lot of us who are known as good punters,'' Sullivan said. ``We just don't happen to be on a team. It's not so different from the rest of life. It's a question of being in the right place at the right time.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
BILL ABOURJILIE/Staff
Kent Sullivan, shown above, and Matt Turk are ``incredibly even''
coach Norv Turner said of the competition for the punter position.
by CNB