Iowa Football: Lifelong Hawkeye Fan Tanner Philpott Battling For Punting Job

Tanner Philpott bleeds black and gold.  Wearing Iowa Hawkeye gear growing up was more than just a clothing choice - it was a lifestyle. Every fall Saturday, Philpott and his family would make the 90-minute trek from Waukee to Iowa City to cheer on the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium, and he made sure to wear his jersey.  "They have tons of photos of me in my little Hawkeye jersey where we come to games on the weekends and just hang out," Philpott said at Iowa media day on Aug. 14.  Thousands of kids wear their favorite team's jerseys, but few actually get the chance to put them on and walk out of the tunnel.  Philpott isn't one of them, though. After spending two years at the Division-III level as a punter for Simpson College, Philpott transferred to Iowa in January as a preferred walk-on, so it's safe to say wearing the Iowa jersey has a lot more meaning for him now.  The move from Indianola to Iowa City has been a smooth one.  "It's going well so far. I have a great community here. Iowa football is just amazing," Philpott said. "The togetherness, the bond between everyone here, that drive to push everyone to get better in the development is just amazing here.  Walk-ons don't often find success in Power Four college football, but there's a chance Philpott could be in the starting lineup when the Hawkeyes take the field for their season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5.  The third-year is currently in the midst of an intense battle with Australian Boston Everitt for Iowa's starting punting job. Special teams coordinator Chris Polizzi said that both "have competed their a**es off" throughout the competition, and that it's likely it could extend into the season.  "That's one of the things that we're excited about with the competition," Polizzi said. "The reason it's been a healthy competition is these guys just trying to get better every single day."  Everitt and Philpott are both different punters from different backgrounds, which probably makes Polizzi's decision even more difficult. The Hawkeyes' strong recent history with successful Aussie punters (Tory Taylor, Rhys Dakin) may go against Philpott, but he does possess something that Everitt doesn't - playing live American football.  Philpott immediately made an impact after arriving at Simpson. Averaging 37.5 yards per punt on 50 attempts doesn't seem like a lot on the surface, but Philpott showcased his potential with a 78-yard punt midway through that 2024 season.  Another offseason of development proved to be the icing on the cake, as Philpott increased his average to 43.9 yards per game, which ended up being the third-best average in the nation. Eleven of those punts topped the 50-yard mark and Philpott managed to match his career-long 78-yarder late in the season.  Philpott wasn't drilling 78-yard bombs during Iowa's Kids' Day scrimmage on Saturday, but he looked very comfortable. His long punt hovered close to the 45-50-yard mark, and there were clean mechanics across the board.  The fans in attendance may have noticed him perform these skills with ease, but Philpott attributes all of his success to the hard work that he's put in behind the scenes.  While he certainly wants those skills to translate to winning the starting job, Philpott's main goal this year is to make sure Iowa fans know that he is a good teammate.  "Just wanting to make sure other people are better, keep pushing each other, being a great teammate, and just always cheering on, no matter who's on the field," Philpott said.  You Can Win FREE Tickets To Iowa's Season Opener!  HawkeyeRoundtable is giving away TWO tickets to Iowa's season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5!  This is easily the biggest giveaway we've ever done on this site, and it's a great opportunity for two lucky fans to experience the joy of attending a Hawkeye football game at Kinnick Stadium.  Click here to automatically become a member to enter the contest! Additional contest details can be found in our community section, too!  HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at bradschultz@roundtable.io