Zoltan Mesko life and biography

Zoltan Mesko is a Romanian-born American football punter for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Zoltan Mesko was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round (150th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft.

2010 (9/0)
* Totalled 201 yards on ?ve punts with a long of 53 against the Steelers (11/14).
* Punted ?ve times for 207 yards (41.4 avg.) and one touchback against the Browns (11/7).
* Punted ?ve times for 237 yards (47.4 avg. and a long of 55) and one touchback against Minnesota (10/31).
* Averaged 38.3 yards-per-punt on four punts for 153 yards against the Chargers (10/24).
* Boomed a 65-yard punt in overtime that signi?cantly changed ?eld position, giving the Ravens possession at their own 19-yard line after the Patriots faced a fourth-and-6 from their own 16-yard line (10/17). Mesko's career-long 65-yard punt was the longest in Patriots history in overtime, besting Mike Saxon's 46-yard punt in overtime (11/7/93) and the longest for the Patriots since Chris Hanson's 70-yard punt in 2008. He ?nished the game with six punts for 282 yards (47.0 avg.).
* Punted three times for 123 yards (41.0 avg.) against the Dolphins (10/4).
* Punted three times for 113 yards against Buffalo (9/26).
* Punted three times for 146 yards (48.7 avg.) against the Jets (9/19).
* Punted one time (43 yards) in his ?rst NFL game in the season opener against the Bengals (9/12).

College

Was a four-year letterman and starter at punter...Four-time Academic All-Big Ten Conference (2006-07-08-09) ... 2009 CoSIDA Academic All-America first team...2009 Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America second team...Two-time All-Big Ten first team selection by the coaches and media (2008-09) ... became the first special teams player in school history elected team captain...2007 Derek Howard Award winner as Michigan's top hustler...Appeared in 50 career games...Had 243 career punts for 10,325 yards ...Holds U-M career record for punts and punting yardage...His 42.5-yard career average ranks second in school history...Became the first Wolverine player to surpass 10,000 career punt yards vs. Penn State (Oct. 24, 2009)...Became the only Michigan player to punt for more than 3,000 yards during 2008 season ... Holds program-standard for most punts (80) and punting yards (3,436) in a season...76 punts have been downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line...Has 58 punts of 50 yards or better...Booted a 68-yard career long vs. Ohio State (Nov. 17, 2007)...

2009 (Senior): Became first special teams player in school history to be elected team captain...Earned fourth varsity letter...ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America first team...Playboy Magazine All-American...Associated Press All-America second team...Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America second team...Rivals.com All-America second team...Phil Steele's All-America second team... SI.com All-America honorable mention...CollegeFootballNews.com All-America honorable mention...Became first Wolverine ever named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team...Ray Guy Award (finalist)...Lowe's Senior CLASS Award (finalist)...Named to Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Senior All-America second team...Danny Wuerffel Trophy (finalist)...Recipient of Dr. Arthur D. Robinson Scholarship Award as the top senior scholar on the U-M team...Academic All-Big Ten...CoSIDA Academic All-District IV first team...Started all 12 games as punter and holder...Led the Big Ten and finished eighth nationally in punting with a 44.46-yard average ... Helped team lead the league and finish third nationally in net punting (40.93 avg.)...Punted 52 times for 2,312 yards...Had 17 punts of 50 yards or better, 18 fair caught, 15 dropped inside the opposition's 20-yard line and just three touchbacks...Kicked a game-long 63-yarder in the fourth quarter and downed two punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line against the Boilermakers...

2008 (Junior): Earned third varsity letter... Phil Steele's All-America fourth team ... Ray Guy Award semifinalist...2008 All-Big Ten first team (coaches and media)...Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award ... Academic All-Big Ten...U-M Athletic Academic Achievement...First in the Big Ten and 19th nationally in punting average (42.95 avg.)...His 42.95 per punt average this season ranks sixth in program history...Punted 80 times for 3,436 yards, both established school records...Kicked a 50-yard punt or better in nine of 12 games...Completed a successful fourth down conversion with a 13-yard rush against the Irish...

2007 (Sophomore): Earned second varsity letter...Academic All-Big Ten...U-M Athletic Academic Achievement...Derek Howard Award winner as Michigan's top hustler...Was a Ray Guy Award candidate...Was an Academic All-America candidate...Fifth in the Big Ten and 53rd nationally in punting average...Punted 70 times for 2876 yards (41.1 avg.), with 22 boots inside the 20-yard line...22 of 70 punts were fair caught...Boomed a 68-yard career long against the Buckeyes and had three punts downed inside the 20-yard line...

2006 (Freshman): Earned first varsity letter...Academic All-Big Ten ... U-M Athletic Academic Achievement....Played in all 13 games at punter...Punted 50 times for 2079 yards, a 41.6-yard average, with 17 punts downed inside the opposition's 20-yard line...Had eight boots of 50 yards or better...Made career debut vs. Vanderbilt (Sept. 2), punting three times for a 45-yard average.

2005 (Redshirt): Redshirted and did not see game action.

Personal

Zoltan Mesko was born March 16, 1986 in Timisoara, Romania...Both parents are native of Romania... Father is a former professional bowler...Enrolled in the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and was a business administration major…Attended Twinsburg High School (2005)…Most Valuable Performer at the Ray Guy Kicking Academy in 2004…Played basketball and ran track for two years.

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