Top 10

Bennie Alexander, Florida
The 5'9", 174-pound redshirt freshman was so tenacious on punt and kickoff coverage in his first six games that he earned a starting cornerback job. He leads Florida in special teams tackles, with 14.

Nate Brooks, Miami
Brooks, a 5'10", 173-pound senior cornerback, blocked a kick in each of the Hurricanes' first three games and returned a punt for a touchdown against East Tennessee State on Sept. 5.

John Engelberger, Virginia
Tech The 6'4", 263-pound junior has blocked two kicks this year, giving him five for his career.

Damon Gourdine, San Diego State
The son of rock-and-roll singer Little Anthony, Gourdine, a 5'7", 160-pound junior, leads the nation in punt returning with a 21.8-yard average. He has returned two punts for touchdowns.

Royce Huffman, TCU
A star third baseman on TCU's baseball team and the school's male athlete of the year for 1996-97, the 6-foot, 195-pound Huffman serves as both punter and punt returner for the Horned Frogs.

Sebastian Janikowski, Florida State
Nicknamed the Polish Powder Keg because of his strong leg, Janikowski leads the nation in field goals made and attempted. Of his 60 career kickoffs, 36 have resulted in touchbacks.

Joe Jarzynka, Washington
In addition to his 614 return yards on punts and kickoffs, Jarzynka (above) has kicked three field goals and 14 extra points.

Brandon Knowles, Kansas State
A 5'11", 235-pound senior, Knowles is a four-year starter as the Wildcats' long snapper. He has never muffed a snap.

Joe Kristosik, UNLV
The winless Rebels have given Kristosik, their 6'3", 220-pound senior punter, plenty of action this season, and he has made the most of it. He leads the nation in punts (66) and yards per punt (46.6).

Shane Lechler, Texas A&M
The 6'2", 220-pound junior averages 44.9 yards per punt. He also kicks off, serves as holder on placekicks, has passed for a touchdown on a fake field goal and has completed a pass on a fake punt.