Filling in at Place Kicker, Danny Longman Is Ready for the Challenge
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)
Staff Writer
Danny Longman’s Twitter account still has a video pinned from May 21, 2018—before his freshman year at Boston College. It’s him drilling back-to-back 60-yard field goals.
In other words, him living up to his last name.
Longman has the leg. That’s never been in question. As a senior at Chaminade-Madonna College Prep in Florida, the Miami Shores native converted 18-of-19 field goals with a long of 49. But when he was recruited by BC, Steve Addazio’s staff wanted him to solely focus on kickoffs and simply be a backup at place kicker and punter.
Longman is going on his fourth straight season as the Eagles’ kickoff man. His number was called leading up to BC’s game against Holy Cross in 2018, after Eagles place kicker Colton Lichtenberg, who at the time also handled kickoffs, was sidelined with an injury. Longman took the opportunity and ran with it, teeing off kickoffs for the final 11 games of that season.
He’s improved over the years, cutting down on kicks out of bounds—in 2019, he led the nation with 11—and, last Saturday, he averaged 63.8 yards per kickoff, currently good for sixth in the ACC. If he maintains that average, he’ll end the year with a career high.
For the second consecutive season opener, Longman also served as the Eagles’ place kicker. During fall camp, incumbent starter Aaron Boumerhi re-aggravated a right hip injury that he’s had two surgeries on. Boumerhi was out. Once again, it was Longman’s turn.
Like he had previously done in fill-in performances against Temple in 2018 and Duke last season, the 6-foot-1 kicker didn’t flinch. He maintained his 100% career field goal percentage (4-of-4) with a 24-yard chip shot in the third quarter, although he did ricochet one extra point off the left upright.
Longman’s four career field goals have all been inside 30, and he pushed a 36-yarder right during this year’s Jay McGillis Memorial Spring Game, however, he’s confident in his ability to make longer kicks.
“I want Coach Hafley to challenge me later in the season,” Longman said. “Maybe this upcoming game. Get some 40s in there—if not more.”
Longman trusts his teammates, especially those in the special teams room. Place kicking, which relies on timing and rhythm, is dependent on that trust.
“We have great chemistry out there,” Longman said. “Love Tess. Love Gunner, our long snapper. I feel like our operation’s pretty solid, and we’re just going to get better at that.”
Longman said that he talks to Boumerhi every day. There’s no timeline for Boumerhi’s recovery, according to Hafley, because the injury has kept the kicker out for long stretches of his career.
Boumerhi was one of three ACC kickers to make 14 or more field goals and post a field goal percentage of at least 80% last season. He knocked in a 36-yard game-winner against Texas State and made a trio of field goals on three separate occasions: first against North Carolina, then versus Syracuse and once more against Notre Dame.
“What he’s been doing the past couple years has been great, and I’ve kind of just been asking for some tips and stuff,” Longman said.
“He’s the best motivator. Throughout this entire game against Colgate, it was just him patting me on the shoulder like, ‘You’re doing great, keep going.’ It was really beneficial.”
Boumerhi isn’t listed on BC’s Week 2 depth chart, but he hasn’t been ruled out for the season yet. As of right now, though, place kicker is Longman’s job.
And he’s ready to be tested.
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