Malone Has a Leg Up on Competition

Tom Malone was annoyed with himself. It was his first year of serious football, and the scrawny kid was struggling to find his place on the Lake Elsinore Temescal Canyon High freshman team.

He tried quarterback, but it wasn’t the right fit. He switched to wide receiver but dropped more balls than Hootie & the Blowfish in their music video with Dan Marino.

Then he lined up about 15 yards behind center on fourth down, cradled the long snap and poured all his angst into a punt he boomed downfield.

Malone had found his calling, one that would lead him to a designation as perhaps the top punter in Southern California heading into his senior season.

“Not many teams can rely on a punter to kick them out of an end zone to the other 40,” said Brandon Williams, the holder on placekicks for Temescal Canyon.

Malone, who has committed to USC, averaged 41.5 yards a punt as a junior and has only improved while tackling new challenges in the months leading up to the Titans’ season opener Thursday against Mission Viejo at the Lake Elsinore Diamond.

Malone won a competition among a handful of high school and small college punters this summer in the Inland Empire, averaging a touch over 56 yards on 10 punts. More important, perhaps, he made eight of 10 field goals, including one from 50 yards.

The latter statistic is crucial because Malone will assume the kicking duties this season following the graduation of Jared Browne. Malone will handle kickoffs, field goals, PATs and punting.

“I definitely think I’m ready,” Malone said. “I’m excited to get the opportunity to kick field goals and I think I’m going to have a big year. I’ve worked on it a lot in the summer and got a lot of things straightened out.”

If Malone turns out to be as good as his personal coach, his future holds great promise. Malone has worked extensively since the end of his sophomore season with former Arizona State punter Marcus Williams, who was first-team All-Pacific 10 Conference his senior season in 1997. Williams went on to play professionally in Europe.

Williams traveled from his home in Mesa, Ariz., two years ago to tutor Malone on his punting and kicking at a kicking camp in San Diego. Since then, Malone has gone to Mesa for extra help on weekends once every two months.

The two would film their kicks, then break them down on tape. Sometimes, San Francisco 49er long snapper Brian Jennings, another Arizona State alum, would tag along to lend a hand.

“[Williams] kind of took me under his wing,” Malone said. “He’s the one who really taught me everything. He told me I had a lot of talent and a lot of potential, and he wanted to help me.”

There is no question Malone possesses a gifted leg, but his success is also the result of intense dedication. It is common to find him on the Titan practice field during weekends, shirt off, sweating profusely while he works on his punting. Sometimes he chases his own punts, other times he summons Brandon Williams, the team’s punt returner, to practice with him.

Realizing that leg speed is a crucial component of punting, Malone joined the track team and set a school record by running 200 meters in 22.3 seconds.

“He has a great work ethic,” Temescal Canyon Coach Bob Burt said. “He works extremely hard to get better every day, even now. That’s what’s important. That’s what kids respect.”

At 6 feet and 185 pounds, Malone may not intimidate opponents with his size, but his leg instills fear in punt returners. Just ask Brandon Williams.

“There’s times where I’m lining up 50 yards off the ball,” Williams said, “and he’s just booming it over my head.”

Malone caught Burt’s attention as a freshman after blasting one punt from deep in Titan territory close to the opponent’s end zone. “I see this ball go about 70 yards in the air and I go, ‘Who the heck is that?”’ said Burt, who informed Malone after the game that he would have a shot to make varsity as a sophomore.

USC discovered Malone a few months later. Former USC coach Paul Hackett was on campus, recruiting defensive end Nathan Goodson, when Malone caught his eye. Hackett wrote down Malone’s name and the Trojans continued to recruit him when Pete Carroll took over as head coach.

Malone, who has a 4.4 grade-point average and a score of 1,200 on his SAT, plans to major in engineering. He will graduate from Temescal Canyon in January, allowing him to participate in spring practice at USC.

Malone said he has an opportunity to play as a freshman in 2002 because Trojan punter Mike McGillivray graduates this spring.

“If he’s as good as he should be,” Burt said of Malone, “it will be a real plus for us.”