Darlington School will retire Shawn Powell's ('07) football jersey this Friday, Jan. 18, at the Huffman Athletic Center between the girls' and boys' varsity basketball games. The ceremony will take place at approximately 7:15 p.m., or whenever the girls' game is over.
Powell, who replaced Brian Moorman as the punter for the Buffalo Bills this season, was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, basketball and baseball). He went on to have a successful football career at Florida State University, where he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees.
In his football career, Powell has achieved many accolades including:
- 2-Time First Team All-Area Punter
- Class AA First Team All-State
- AJC All-Classification All-Decade Team
- FSU career leader in net punting average
- FSU record for season punting average
- Team MVP 2011
- Special Teams Captain
- First Team All-ACC Punter 2011
- Consensus First Team all-American 2011
- 2011 National Punter of the Year Award
- Holds Buffalo Bills Rookie Punting Average
- Currently 5th All-Time Highest Punting Average in Buffalo History
Powell is only the second Darlington School alumnus to ever play in the National Football League. The first, Doug McFalls (’61), was picked by the Chicago Bears nearly a half century ago, in Round 8 of the 1966 NFL Draft.
