Kicking 1,853 punts across all 13 of WVU’s games, it is hard to say that injuries held Oliver Straw back last season.
WVU’s junior punter did go down to a knee injury after a blocked punt in the week three Backyard Brawl against Pittsburgh, but that never held him out of games. Straw continued to shine all year, kicking 43.1 yards per punt to earn an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection in his second season at WVU.
Where injuries were a minor hold-up last year, though, Straw says they will be a non-factor in 2024.
“I feel like I’ve revamped my body,” Straw said. “I’m in a lot better shape, probably the best shape I’ve been in since I’ve been here.”
Straw attributes much of his recovery to a procedure this offseason that repaired parts of his knee and ankle. Post-procedure, Straw had to take it easy, but as far as his punting goes, the Australian says nothing has changed.
“I wouldn’t say it changed the technique at all,” Straw said. “I did have to wear a brace on my left knee for the most part of summer workouts, running, and also in spring, but we’ve worked through that and I’m no-brace now during fall camp and for the season.”
“It wasn’t too much of a technique change, it was more so just getting used to rebuilding my leg strength and being confident in both my ankle and my knee being healthy again.”
Procedures and recovery in the leg are not new to Straw. The punter said that in 2016, he underwent surgery for a bone degenerative disorder. The injury at Pitt, in Straw’s words, seemed to have “undone what had been previously fixed.”
After his latest surgery, which removed two loose bodies floating in his knee, Straw does not anticipate something like this occurring again, calling the injury a “freak accident.” Since the procedure, Straw has reached a point of comfortability with his health that will allow him to move on from that injury.
“To get yourself mentally in the spot where you’re like, ‘okay, now I can forget about that,’ and really just focus on my technique and punt the ball freely, that was the big part for myself,” Straw said.
As Straw’s confidence in his health grows, his attention has already turned toward success this season, which to him comes in the form of team wins, not in personal accolades.
In the special teams room, Straw commends long snapper Austin Brinkman as being essential to that success. Straw said the senior is bound to not receive recognition he may deserve but that a lot of WVU’s success starts with him and that he has done a great job in executing his role.
Straw’s own contribution to team success, he recognizes, does not have to be perfection. Instead, the punter focuses on perfecting two of three essential factors in each kick. Those factors are distance, hang-time, and location, and Straw says that, while he aims for all three, he personally shoots to guarantee at least two at the highest level for each punt.
“Making sure you can get at least two of those things checked off is how I measure myself usually.”
As the season draws nearer, Straw will continue to use his extensive life experience, from injuries to Australian football to his impressive collegiate career thus far, to produce results.
Oliver Straw and the West Virginia Mountaineers will look to make results immediately starting Aug. 31 at home against Penn State. The game kicks off at noon and can be viewed on FOX.
