Mason Fletcher, the Bearcats sophomore punter, picked up AAC Special Teams Player of the Week following his stellar performance that included a career-best 67-yard punt in the 38-17 win over Miami on Saturday.
During the annual rivalry game, Fletcher punted five times with an average of 48.2 yards per attempt. The 67-yard kick was the longest punt by a Bearcat in more than a decade and tied for the eighth-longest in school history.
Fletcher was forced to punt from the end zone and Miami was expecting to have good field position until the explosive kick carried nearly 70 yards in the air before bouncing and being downed inside the 25-yard line.
In addition to earning weekly honors from the conference, Fletcher was also named to the Ray Guy Award watch list on Sunday. The Australian native ranks fourth in the country with an average of 48.0 yards per punt.
Mason Fletcher of @GoBearcatsFB is the @American_Conf Week 3 Special Teams Player of the Week
— American Football (@American_FB) September 19, 2022
Fletcher averaged 48.2 yards on 5 punts, including a career long 67 yard punt. Fletcher leads The American on 48.0 yards per punt pic.twitter.com/u7dYttuRgX
Cincinnati Football: Mason Fletcher earns AAC special teams player of the week
Prior to the season opener, Fletcher got a chance to reunite with his mom for the first time in two years. The Fletcher family traveled to Arkansas to watch Mason and his younger brother Max play against each other. Max Fletcher is a freshman punter on Arkansas.
Since he’s an international student and isn’t eligible to benefit from NIL deals, Fletcher recently announced that all the profits from his official merchandise (jerseys, shirts, etc) will be given to the team walk-ons for additional financial help.
As an International student athlete I am unable to Get access to any NIL money so I’ve decided that all profits from purchases of anything in my name will go to all our Walk-ons on our football team! This will hopefully give some financial help to these guys that give their all. pic.twitter.com/xTRiG6eH6T
— Mason Fletcher (@MasonFletcher19) September 16, 2022
The sophomore punter is currently on pace to break the single season program-record for yards per punt. During the postgame press conference on Saturday, Luke Fickell mentioned Fletcher’s impact via Cincinnati Athletics.
"“We have confidence in what he can do. He’s done a phenomenal job. He’s not rattled by the seven or eight guys that they tried to have come after him. Obviously he had the one coming out of the end zone that he hammered then it rolled. That was huge.”"