The past few months have been a whirlwind for Darlington football standout Shawn Powell (’07), who signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Buffalo Bills in April only to be released on Aug. 31 when the team trimmed its roster to 53 players. But things are looking way up for the All-American punter, who signed a new contract with Buffalo today at 12:30 p.m.
“Shawn called me yesterday and was very excited that Buffalo was flying him back in to kick for them,” said Tommy Atha, head football coach at Darlington. “He had also received a call from the Dallas Cowboys, so he was supposed to kick for Buffalo today at 11 a.m. and then fly to Dallas. This morning, it looks like Buffalo just pulled the trigger and decided to offer him a new deal."
During preseason for the Bills, Powell punted 11 times for an average of 43.5 yards per kick. And according to sources close to the rookie punter, he is slated to replace longtime Bills punter and team captain Brian Moorman in the starting lineup this Sunday in their game against the New England Patriots.
Powell is featured in Darlington School's newest admission marketing piece, a viewbook for prospective boarding students. In it, he says, "Darlington is such a close-knit family and the people here have done so much for me. Coach Atha is a great football coach who really helped me get to FSU. Without him pushing recruiters and sending tape out, I probably wouldn't have made it."
For more:
Buffalo Bills official website
Buffalo Bills press conference
Buffalo Rumblings Blog 1
Buffalo Rumblings Blog 2
Rome News-Tribune article
Darlington School Alumni Profile: Shawn Powell ('07)
