Johnny Townsend (American football)


Johnny Townsend is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Florida during the 2013 until 2017 season. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. His younger brother Tommy Townsend is a punter for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Early years

Townsend played at William R. Boone High School in Orlando. He was initially recruited by Ohio State.

College career

Townsend had the highest NCAA Division I FBS punting average in the country in 2016, with a 47.9 yard average. With this average, he also set the all-time punting record for the Florida Gators.

Professional career

Oakland Raiders

Townsend was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. The pick used to draft him was acquired from the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for Jamize Olawale. He made his NFL debut in the Raiders' season opener against the Los Angeles Rams. He had four punts for 178 net yards in the 33–13 loss. In Week 10, against the Los Angeles Chargers, he executed a 42-yard rush on a fake punt. He totaled 70 punts for 3,022 net yards for a 43.17 average in his rookie season. He was waived by the Raiders on August 13, 2019.

New York Giants

On August 14, 2019, Townsend was claimed off waivers by the New York Giants. He was waived on August 31, 2019.