Matt Araiza is not your average NFL Draft prospect. While punter prospects aren’t rare — they’re more commonplace than you’d expect — no prospect at the position has captured the imagination with a mastery of their craft quite like the San Diego State standout. By earning the moniker “Punt God,” attracting the attention of Pat McAfee, and winning the Ray Guy Award, Araiza has elevated punting to national attention while putting himself in the NFL shop window.
Matt Araiza, “Punt God” of the 2022 NFL Draft
“It was fun,” Araiza grinned while reflecting on the craziness of the past season. “It was something that I’m going to be forever grateful for, and I hope to have that same effect on the next fan base, wherever I go. Pat McAfee, all that stuff was hilarious, seeing some of the memes were really funny, the nicknames, all that stuff. It was definitely a cool experience.”
It’s not ordinary to find a punter dominating social media and football conversations across the country. But, Araiza isn’t an ordinary punter. Where most players have a left leg, the San Diego product has what can only be described as a cannon. This season, he’s put it to devastating use week in and week out.
In the season opener against New Mexico State, Araiza boomed a 77-yarder. Most punters don’t achieve that distance in a career. To demonstrate the rarified air that the San Diego State punter is kicking in, fellow NFL Draft prospect Jake Camarda has a career-long of 68 yards. Yet, Araiza went and nailed an 86-yard punt and an 81-yarder in consecutive games against San Jose State and Air Force.
Araiza’s performances have been record-setting. He now holds the NCAA records for punting average in a season (51.19), punts over 50 yards (39), and punts over 60 yards (18). The San Diego State punter capped off his final season at the college level with the ultimate honor for a college punter, the Ray Guy Award.
The Ray Guy Award caps off an unprecedented season
“That was a huge honor,” Araiza said. “After the first game, I was kinda starting to visualize that. That was somewhat of a goal. I remember talking to my friends and family about it really early on, ‘How cool would it be to even just be a finalist?’ It was a cool progression to make, visualizing it in the beginning and then it becoming a reality was an honor.”
Araiza’s ascension to the summit of his position and the attention that has come with it has been one of the storylines of the college football season. Yet, he’d only punted in one game prior to this season. Few could have seen this meteoric rise to success. Except, maybe Araiza himself.
“I always knew I could have that level of success,” he said. “The one thing I don’t think I ever realized was the level of popularity. I never saw that coming. The social media explosion, and all the fans, the almost cult-like fans sometimes. That was something I never saw coming.
“I knew with punting, I was only a couple of adjustments away from what I did this last year. I knew I just had to figure out a few things, dial in a few things, get some consistency and adjust to the college operation time. But, I knew I had the potential and once I got rocking and rolling, everything would work out as it did.”
A homegrown hero
Around 20 minutes north of San Diego State University lies North County Soccer Park. The legend of the Punt God might have been born on Brookshire Street, but it truly began at the soccer park on 14530 Espola Road. At the time, a young Araiza couldn’t have imagined becoming a national punting icon. Furthermore, it wasn’t even a thought.
“I loved European football, soccer. That was definitely my first love. I grew up playing three on three on this tiny indoor field, and that’s kind of where my love for soccer and sports started. Spent pretty much countless hours at that field with my Dad, just practicing all different types of stuff for soccer. And, that’s kind of where the ability with my feet come from.”
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While a lot of kids growing up dream of playing in the NFL, at that time it wasn’t even a consideration for Araiza. He spent time at Qualcomm Stadium watching the San Diego Chargers, enjoying the passionate environment in person but still holding soccer in his heart. Even now, on the precipice of turning professional, there is still the glint of pursuing soccer in the eyes of the San Diego State punter.
“Soccer was, for sure, the first sport I wanted to play professionally. Something I hadn’t really told anyone yet is if my professional football career ends and I still have a bit of gas in the tank, I’m going to go out and try to play semi-pro soccer somewhere. Playing sports is what I love. So, I’m going to try and do it as long as possible.”
Uncovering his punting potential
Araiza could have pursued soccer as a career. He could have even pursued a career in track after setting high school records in the 110m and 300m hurdles at Rancho Bernardo  High School. However, it was there that the power of his left leg was harnessed with a view to a long-term career goal.
“Freshman year of high school. I remember having some coaches pull me to the side and told me, ‘Hey, if you take football seriously, with your leg you have a lot of potential. You can go as far as your work ethic can take you.’ So, I think that was probably when I knew I had a shot.”
Araiza’s potential as a kicker and punter was immediately obvious at Rancho Bernardo. The current Ray Guy Award winner is no stranger to accolades. The NCAA record holder is extremely familiar with breaking records. During his high school career, he set the CIF section record for field goals and was named the CIF Kicker of the Year three times. Early success formed a catalyst for what was to come later.
“My sophomore season, we won the state championship,” Araiza said. “It was a special team, and a special group I got to be a part of. And, I was the only sophomore on the team at that time. So, earning their respect and earning their trust, and becoming a part of that team was a big accomplishment for me. That was a fun year, and also the year I broke the record for field goals. That was probably the year that started all this momentum towards success on the football field.”
Staying at home for college, and making an impact on San Diego
Despite all the success on the football field for Rancho Bernardo, Araiza was largely overlooked in the 2018 recruiting cycle. A two-star recruit who was ranked as the 19th kicker in the class, he could have elevated his profile at one of the big-name kicking camps. But Araiza described them to me as not being “fun” or “real football.” As a result, he stayed close to home, a decision that has meant more to him than he ever knew.
“I don’t think I realized how important it was when I made the decision,” Araiza said. “Obviously, one of the benefits in my decision to pick San Diego State was being close to home. But being at San Diego State for four years, really living it, it made me laugh that I even considered going anywhere else. It was awesome. I have a way bigger fan base because my Mom’s a teacher in the school district I grew up in. We have a ton of connections and basically a ton of people rooting for me on Saturdays which was really fun.”
Being close to home as his popularity has grown during this season has also had a tremendous impact on Araiza. The success of a hometown kid has had a significant impact on the community, and for all the nicknames, memes, and hilarity it brings, the San Diego State punter has also provided inspiration for a younger generation.
“It’s been huge to have that impact on my home town as well. To generate that fan base was a really cool experience and it was awesome to see. We released a jersey with a company out of San Diego and to see those jerseys in the stands, was crazy to me. It’s been a huge honor.”
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