It’s no secret that the LSU student body, Baton Rouge community and even national media pick favorites when it comes to Tiger football players.
Interesting characters fill the Tiger roster, including sophomore cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, the playmaking “Honey Badger,” and Jordan Jefferson, the senior quarterback who made a polarizing return to the team halfway through his senior season.
Even junior cornerback Morris Claiborne has blazing speed that has left opposing teams staring at the back of his No. 17 jersey all season.
Before the season, any of these players would have been viable candidates for the biggest attention-grabber on the LSU football team.
Instead, a punter from Australia who had only played American football for one year prior to playing at LSU is making a run for the title.
Redshirt freshman Brad Wing is averaging 43.4 yards per punt on the season. If Wing finishes the season with that average, he would rank No. 8 on LSU’s all-time best season punting average.
Opponents are averaging .56 yards per punt return against LSU this season. That’s nine punt returns for a total of five yards.
It’s not just Wing’s talent on the field that has gotten him attention. His antics during games have captivated audiences.
Wing drew attention after taking a 44-yard self-called fake punt to the end zone Oct. 8 against Florida.
The run was called back 15 yards for a celebration penalty, as Wing was seen throwing his arms in the air while he sprinted downfield toward the end zone.
The event sparked an Internet obsession, and the snapshot of Wing raising his arms at his opponents became a meme often accompanied by a caption of “u mad, mate?” or “got swag?”
After the game, Wing said he learned his lesson, but joked that he would like to see how fast he could finish a 40-yard dash.
If the fake punt wasn’t enough, Wing’s legend grew the following weekend as some Tiger fans couldn’t wait until after the game to get a picture with the punter.
Television cameras caught Wing taking a picture with fans while there was 1:35 remaining on the clock in the fourth quarter of the Tennessee game.
“They were asking all day if I could take a photo,” Wing said. “I quickly ran over there, not thinking anyone would see, but they had the camera on swagger.”
Wing said he shouldn’t get all the credit for placing the ball inside the opponents’ 20-yard line on a consistent basis. He credited Mathieu and senior cornerback Ron Brooks of the punting coverage team with downing the ball well.
“I think those two guys are the best in the country at it and I think we have the best coverage in the country,” Wing said. “I’m just so blessed to have