Daniel Sepulveda
{{Short description|American football player (born 1984)}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Daniel Sepulveda
| image = Daniel Sepulveda.JPG
| alt = Sepulveda while he was at a training camp with the Steelers in his rookie season
| caption = Sepulveda with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007
| number = 9
| position = Punter
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|1|12|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Austin, Texas, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 229
| high_school = Highland Park
(University Park, Texas)
| college = Baylor (2002–2006)
| draftyear = 2007
| draftround = 4
| draftpick = 112
| pastteams = * Pittsburgh Steelers ({{NFL Year|2007|2011}})
| highlights = * Super Bowl champion (XLIII)
- PFWA All-Rookie Team (2007)
- 2× Ray Guy Award (2004, 2006)
- Unanimous All-American (2006)
- 2× Second-team All-American (2004, 2005)
- Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year (2006)
- 3× First-team All-Big 12 (2004, 2005, 2006)
- Second-team All-Big 12 (2003)
| statlabel1 = Punts
| statvalue1 = 221
| statlabel2 = Punting yards
| statvalue2 = 9,657
| statlabel3 = Punting average
| statvalue3 = 43.7
| statlabel4 = Longest punt
| statvalue4 = 66
| statlabel5 = Inside 20
| statvalue5 = 81
| pfr = SepuDa20
}}
Daniel Wade Sepulveda (born January 12, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a punter for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL), all with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football for the Baylor Bears, where he won twice the Ray Guy Award and earned All-American honors. He was selected by the Steelers in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL draft.
Early life
Sepulveda, who is of Mexican–American descent, was born in Austin, Texas. He attended Highland Park High School in metropolitan Dallas, Texas. Sepulveda was a fourth-string punter at Highland Park behind Ryan Wolcott (the kicker), Jason Wood (the backup), and Trey Warren (the starter). He never made it into a game as a punter.
College career
Sepulveda attended Baylor University, where he played for the Baylor Bears football team from 2002 to 2006. He was a walk-on to the football team as a linebacker, and after a redshirt freshman season (despite not having punted since junior high) became the Bears' starting punter, earning a scholarship after the 2003 season. He won the Ray Guy Award tapping him as the best college punter in 2004 and 2006, and was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American in 2004 and a unanimous first-team All-American in 2006. He, Ryan Allen and Tom Hackett are the only players to win the Ray Guy Award twice.
As of the end of the 2017 season, Sepulveda holds the NCAA FBS record for career punting average and career punts of 50+ yards.{{Cite web |title=Football Bowl Subdivision Records |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2018/FBS.pdf |website=NCAA}}
Professional career
Sepulveda was selected in the fourth round (112th pick) by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2007 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=2007 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2007/draft.htm |access-date=May 11, 2023 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} After the release of former starter Chris Gardocki, Sepulveda successfully bested Mike Barr for the starting job. Sepulveda signed a three-year contract for $1.46 million with the Steelers on May 31, 2007.
In the first quarter of a December 20 game against the St. Louis Rams, in his rookie season, Sepulveda completed a 32-yard pass to running back Najeh Davenport on a fake punt play.
On July 29, 2008, Sepulveda tore the ACL in his right leg for the second time.{{Cite web |date=July 29, 2008 |title=Steelers' Sepulveda likely lost for the season |url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_580044.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080730124108/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_580044.html |archive-date=July 30, 2008 |access-date=July 30, 2008 |website=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review}}{{Cite news |last=Bouchette |first=Ed |date=July 30, 2008 |title=Torn ACL in right knee will keep left-footed punter out entire season |publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08212/900451-66.stm |access-date=August 1, 2008}} He had surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament on August 6.{{Cite news |date=July 31, 2008 |title=Sepulveda's Knee Surgery Scheduled For August |work=Steelers |publisher=KDKA |agency=Associated Press |url=http://kdka.com/steelers/Steelers.Sepulveda.surgery.2.784724.html |url-status=dead |access-date=August 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080805061301/http://kdka.com/steelers/Steelers.Sepulveda.surgery.2.784724.html |archive-date=August 5, 2008}} He was placed on injured reserve by the Steelers after the surgery,{{Cite news |last=Fittipaldo |first=Ray |date=August 25, 2008 |title=Steelers name Hartwig starting center, make first cuts |publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08238/906879-66.stm |access-date=August 25, 2008}}{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Scott |date=August 25, 2008 |title=Steelers cut Bloom, place Sepulveda on IR |publisher=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review |url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_584805.html?source=rss&feed=1 |url-status=dead |access-date=August 25, 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131130314/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_584805.html?source=rss&feed=1 |archive-date=January 31, 2013}} officially ending his season.{{Cite news |date=August 25, 2008 |title=Steelers place P Sepulveda om IR |publisher=Yahoo! Sports |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=txsteelerssepulveda&prov=st&type=lgns |url-status=dead |access-date=August 25, 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715104816/http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=txsteelerssepulveda&prov=st&type=lgns |archive-date=July 15, 2012}}
On December 5, 2010, he again injured his right knee in a game against the Baltimore Ravens.{{Cite web |date=December 7, 2010 |title=Steelers Sign Kapinos; Place Sepulveda on IR |url=http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Steelers-Sign-Kapinos-Place-Sepulveda-on-IR/78b8cb8e-d583-4fe2-b18b-ce47d518c438 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721163349/http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Steelers-Sign-Kapinos-Place-Sepulveda-on-IR/78b8cb8e-d583-4fe2-b18b-ce47d518c438 |archive-date=July 21, 2011 |access-date=July 27, 2011 |website=Steelers.com}} Jeremy Kapinos was signed to replace Sepulveda. On July 31, 2011, the Steelers re-signed Sepulveda to a 1-year deal.{{Cite web |title=Steelers, Sepulveda agree to deal |url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_749287.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120907080127/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_749287.html |archive-date=September 7, 2012 |access-date=August 2, 2011}}
In the second quarter of an October 9, 2011, game against the Tennessee Titans Sepulveda completed his second career pass for a first down, a 33-yard pass to Ryan Mundy on a fake punt play. Sepulveda finished his career with a completion percentage of 100%: 2 for 2.{{cite web | url=https://steelerstakeaways.com/exclusive-with-former-steelers-punter-daniel-sepulveda-2007-2011/ | title=Exclusive with Former Steelers Punter Daniel Sepulveda, 2007-2011 – Welcome to Steelers Takeaways! | date=July 11, 2021 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SepuDa20.htm | title=Daniel Sepulveda Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College | website=Pro-Football-Reference.com }}
It was announced on April 4, 2012, that Sepulveda would not return to the Steelers for the 2012 season.{{Cite news |last=Bouchette |first=Ed |date=April 4, 2012 |title=Burned Steelers' coach visits team; punter Sepulveda won't return - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/burned-steelers-coach-visits-team-punter-sepulveda-wont-return-629862/}}
NFL career statistics
| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! colspan="2"| Legend |
| style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"|
| Led the league |
| Bold
| Career high |
= Regular season =
| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="10"| Punting | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| {{abbr|GP|Games played}} | Punts | {{abbr|Yds|Yards}} | {{Nowrap|Net Yds}} | {{abbr|Lng|Longest punt}} | {{abbr|Avg|Average}} | {{Nowrap|Net Avg}} | {{abbr|Blk|Blocked punts}} | {{abbr|Ins20|Inside 20 yard line}} | {{abbr|TB|Touchbacks}} | |
| 2007 | PIT
| 16 || 68 || 2,880 || 2,574 || 59 || 42.4 || 37.9 || 0 || 28 || 2 | |||||||||
| 2009 | PIT
| 16 || 72 || 3,074 || 2,669 || 60 || 42.7 || 37.1 || 0 || 29 || 4 | |||||||||
| 2010 | PIT
| 12 || 56 || 2,550 || 2,192 || 62 || 45.5 || 39.1 || 0 || 16 || 8 | |||||||||
| 2011 | PIT
| 8 || 25 || 1,153 || 1,016 || 66 || 46.1 || 39.1 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"| 1 || 8 || 5 | |||||||||
| colspan="2"| Career | 52 | 221 | 9,657 | 8,451 | 66 | 43.7 | 38.1 | 1 | 81 | 19 |
= Playoffs =
| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="10"| Punting | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| {{abbr|GP|Games played}} | Punts | {{abbr|Yds|Yards}} | {{Nowrap|Net Yds}} | {{abbr|Lng|Longest punt}} | {{abbr|Avg|Average}} | {{Nowrap|Net Avg}} | {{abbr|Blk|Blocked punts}} | {{abbr|Ins20|Inside 20 yard line}} | {{abbr|TB|Touchbacks}} | |
| 2007 | PIT
| 1 || 4 || 177 || 146 || 48 || 44.3 || 36.5 || 0 || 1 || 0 | |||||||||
| colspan="2"| Career | 1 | 4 | 177 | 146 | 48 | 44.3 | 36.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Post-football career
Sepulveda enrolled at the SMU Dedman School of Law as part of its 2019 graduating class.{{Cite web |title=Daniel Sepulveda, Class of 2019 | SMU Dedman School of Law | Dallas Texas |url=https://www.smu.edu/Law/Admissions/Meet-Our-Students/Sepulveda-Daniel |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118205916/https://www.smu.edu/Law/Admissions/Meet-Our-Students/Sepulveda-Daniel |archive-date=November 18, 2018 |access-date=November 18, 2018}}
In 2023, he joined as an attorney the brand new, Dallas-based law firm Campbell Miller Payne as a charter member.{{cite web | url=https://cmppllc.com/our-firm | title=Campbell Miller Payne | date=December 14, 2023 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.nationalreview.com/author/daniel-sepulveda/ | title=Daniel Sepulveda | website=National Review }} He previously worked as a corporate finance lawyer for Norton Rose Fulbright.{{cite web | url=https://steelerstakeaways.com/exclusive-with-former-steelers-punter-daniel-sepulveda-2007-2011/ | title=Exclusive with Former Steelers Punter Daniel Sepulveda, 2007-2011 – Welcome to Steelers Takeaways! | date=July 11, 2021 }}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{footballstats|pfr=S/SepuDa20}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20081205041347/http://baylorbears.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/sepulveda_daniel00.html Baylor Bears bio]
{{2006 NCAA Division I FBS College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{Ray Guy Award}}
{{Big 12 Conference football Player of the Year navbox}}
{{Steelers2007DraftPicks}}
{{Super Bowl XLIII}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sepulveda, Daniel}}
Category:All-American college football players
Category:American football punters
Category:Baylor Bears football players
Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players
Category:Players of American football from Austin, Texas
Category:American sportspeople of Mexican descent
Category:Hispanic and Latino American players of American football