SEC Football Top 150 Players: No. 145, Steven Clark, Auburn P

Starting April 2, the SEC Blog will be counting down the top 150 players for 2012 in the SEC.

No. 145: Steven Clark, No. 30, Punter, Auburn

Strengths

I know, I know...punters aren't "real football players." But ask LSU what they think of punter Brad Wing and how he's capable of making an impact in big games.

In Auburn's case, Steven Clark could be considered one of the MVPs of last season. Clark averaged 40.85 yards per punt in 2011, which ranked eighth in the SEC. Not great, right?

Well, when you consider that only 10 of his 72 punts were returned all season, you now see why he was such a big deal. He dropped 33 punts inside the 20-yard line, forced 34 fair catches and only allowed three touchbacks.

He was named a finalist for the Ray Guy Award given to the nation's top punter in 2011.

Weaknesses

He's a punter, and punters rarely get credit for their work. The 40.85 yards per punt average isn't great, but distance isn't everything.

2012 Prediction

Clark will have the same kind of season in 2012 that he had last season. Whether you have a dynamic offense or one that is constantly stuck in neutral—like Auburn's offense from last season—field position is key.

Clark is a key contributor in that department.

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