Troy Brown
The top 10 New England Patriots punt returners of all time:1. Troy Brown 1993-2007 - 2,625 punt return yards2. Irving Fryar 1984-92 - 2,055 punt return yards3. David Meggett 1995-97 - 1,438 punt return yards4. Mike Haynes 1976-82 - 1,159 punt return yards5. Stanley Morgan 1977-89 - 960 punt return yards6. Kevin Faulk 1999-2008 - 901 punt return yards7. Mack Herron 1973-75 - 888 punt return yards8. Ricky Smith 1982-83 - 537 punt return yards9. Carl Garrett 1969-72 - 487 punt return yards10. Wes Welker 2007-08 - 486 punt return yards
Troy Brown holds the record for Patriots punt returns. He had 252 punt returns for a total of 2625 yards, an average of 10.4 yards per return.
Johnnie Lee Higgins (WR, Oakland Raiders) and Reggie Bush (RB, New Orleans Saints) had the most punt returns for touchdowns in 2008 with three each. Three punt return touchdowns is just one short of the all time record for punt returns for a TD in a season - 4. Higgins had 44 punt returns for 570 punt return yards, averaging 13 yards per punt return over 16 games. His longest punt return was for 93 yards. Bush had 20 punt returns for 270 punt return yards, averaging 13.5 yards per punt return over only 10 games. His longest punt return was for 71 yards. According to Playerfilter, two other plays also had two punt returns for touchdowns in 2008 - Jacob Jones (WR, Houston Texans) and Will Blackmon (CB, Green Pay Packers) while six had one.
Through Week 4 of the 2009 season, that was December 16, 2007 when T. J. Rushing returned a punt 90 yards for a TD against the Oakland Raiders in the Colts 21-14 victory.
The onside kick from scrimmage was eliminated, in the collegiate game, before WWI -- around 1912, I believe. The NFL started in 1920. So I guess the answer is -- never. In the NFL, an onside kick is only possible on a kickoff or on a free kick after a safety. But has there ever been an onside drop kick? I don't know, but lets consider why that would rarely (if ever) happen: Kickoffs are required to be a place kick (from a tee). So the only time you could even attempt an onside drop kick is after a safety, which is one of the rarest plays in football. An onside kick after a safety is very dangerous, as the kick must be from the 20 yard line. The opponent could recover the ball already in field goal range. An onside kick must hit the ground to prevent the other team from calling for a fair catch. This is more difficult to pull off with a drop kick.
8 seconds
About 45 yards per punt, and the average hang time would be right around 4.5 seconds. Therefore, the punt team would need to travel a yard per 0.1 seconds to reach the punt returner by the time he catches it.
Sunshine Patriots was the term.
The offense can punt the ball at any time (on any down not just 4th) from behind the line of scrimmage. Once they punt the ball the other team must touch it before they can touch it again. If the punting team touches the punt first it is downed at that very spot and given to the other team. If a punt goes out of bounds it is given to the other team where it went out and if it goes untouched into the endzone it is put on the 20yd line and the other team takes over. Anyone not just a player listed as a punter can punt the ball. In high school football it is common to line up in a shot-gun formation on 4th down and then have the quarter back quick punt the ball. This sometimes tricks the defense into thinking the offense is attempting to get a 1st down and they may not have someone back to run back the punt. It can also be used just in case the defense does line up in a normal punt return formation and then the quarter back makes a quick choice after taking the snap as to whether he will go for the first down or kick the ball away.
December 2010 - the Patriots won 36-7.
2011 - the Patriots won 41-23.
one time