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Chris Gradone, Northwestern Wildcats football, No. 31

BACKUP PUNTER ACTION UP IN THIS

By Rodger Sherman
Kevin C. Cox

31 days til Northwestern Wildcats football! Tomorrow it will be 30. That's a month! Ahhhhhhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! It's happening!

Anyway, today is Chris Gradone. He's Northwestern's backup punter. GET PUMPED. Or don't. Really it's up to you.

Oh, and sorry to freshman Marcus McShepard, who I s'pose could contribute at cornerback, where Northwestern is somewhat weak, but... backup punter.

Origin myth

Gradone is a Cincy boy, playing for St. Xavier. His team won back-to-back city titles, and his 40.7 yards per punt was the second-best figure in school history. His NUSports profile indicates he held opponents to -6 yards per return as a junior, which can't be possible, right? He was first-team in his division and second-team in his region.

At Northwestern

A redshirt, then a year last year when he didn't do anything because Brandon Williams was the punter.

Anagram of choice

Discovering the Wildcats' true inner selves through spelling

Chris Gradone, anagrammed is

GROIN CRASHED

OWWWWWWWWWWWW

(Also considered: "Corgis harden," which is what happens to cute, stubby dogs in prison, "hardcore sign," which THUG LYFE, "horn disgrace," which is a super bad sax solo, "horsing raced," which is somebody who doesn't speak English trying to describe the Derby, "carding heros," which are asshole bouncers, "grind roaches," which EWWWW, "anchor's dirge," which is mourning Vandy backing out of their Northwestern series, "nacho girders," which sound delicious, "organic herds," which are packs of oxen bought at Whole Foods, and "archer doings," which is a) arching or b) spywork.

Highlights of Mike Trumpy's twitter

Since I forgot yesterday. Sadly, it's gone defunct.

Kid likes exclamation points.

How he can help

Hopefully, he doesn't in 2013 -- starting punters should handle all duties, yanno?

Depth chart projection

Gradone is actually on Northwestern's depth chart! as noted, Williams has the gig now, but he graduates this year, and if Gradone is considered his immediate backup right now, he's presumably the guy in line to fill the role going forward. So expect to see Gradone and stuff.

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