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While the background on Schmiedebusch might be a mystery, he’s quickly making a name for himself in his first season with the Falcons.

Through the first five games, Schmiedebusch, a redshirt sophomore, has punted 22 times, and his average of 47.9 yards per punt is currently sixth nationally. Of his 22 punts, 10 have gone 50 yards or longer and 10 have been downed inside the 20-yard line.

“He’s got a great leg. He gives us time to cover,” said BG sophomore Jerry ‘BooBoo’ Gates. “He can put the spin on the ball and has great bounces.”

“He’s been a big addition for us. He’s a competitor,” said BG head coach Dave Clawson. “We’re very fortunate to have him. He just kind of showed up on our doorstop one day and said he wanted to transfer here.”

A graduate of Ottawa-Glandorf High School, Schmiedebusch started his college career at the University of Findlay in 2009. That season he punted 38 times for a 42.1-yard average with 11 punts inside the 20-yard line and seven punts going 50 yards or longer. He was fifth nationally in punting and was a second-team All-American.

Coming out of high school, Bowling Green was one of a handful of Division I-A schools to look at Schmiedebusch, 6-feet-4, 214 pounds. However, there was a coaching staff change and Schmiedebusch ended up at Findlay.

“Findlay was the only school to offer me to play defense and they wanted me to punt too,” Schmiedebusch said. “Most of my school ended up getting paid for on scholarship, so I ended up going there instead of walking on at a Division I school.”

At Findlay, Schmiedebusch didn’t get much of a chance to play linebacker and ended up having a strong season punting.

“I had a pretty good season punting. After that, they kind of wanted me to go back to linebacker, and I really didn’t really feel like I wanted to and risk getting injured or anything,” Schmiedebusch said. “I felt with the season I had, I could transfer up (to Division I-A), sit out a year, work on some things and get better with punting and hopefully get a job starting somewhere. Bowling Green was the place I chose.”

Schmiedebusch is a walk-on for the Falcons and is not receiving any financial aid.
The transition was not entirely smooth for Schmiedebusch. While playing in a pick-up basketball game, the left-footed punter suffered an injury to his right ankle. He had shattered all the ligaments in his ankle and had to undergo reconstructive surgery. He was in a cast until last November and then did his rehabilitation work with the Falcon training staff.

He was cleared to go through winter conditioning with Bowling Green.

“It’s been a little bit of a surprise how good he’s been. We knew he was good, but he certainly is a bit of a gamer. It seems like he gets in there, the momentum and the flow of the game and it really picks up his performance,” Clawson said. “It was a very good competition between him and Jerry Phillips, and (Schmiedebusch) pulled it out in fall camp.”

Schmiedebusch was a straight-on punter at Findlay, but the Falcons changed him into a rugby-style punter, rolling out before kicking.

Bryan Wright, BG’s punter last season, and Adam Scheier, the Falcons’ special teams coach, worked with Schmiedebusch during winter conditioning on the steps, technique, timing, and drop for the rugby punt.

“I like it. It took a little while to get used to it. It’s not something you pick up in a couple of days. It takes a couple of weeks to get used to it,” Schmiedebusch said.

Schmiedebusch’s first punt in a regular season game for the Falcons went 52 yards and later in that same game against Idaho, he had an 81-yard effort, which is tied for the second-longest in school history. It was the first time Schmiedebusch had played in an indoor stadium.

“It came off the foot perfect and it just sailed,” Schmiedebusch said about his 81-yard effort. “I was hyped for the game and I wasn’t nervous or anything, which was surprising.”

Schmiedebusch will be ready if needed Saturday when the Falcons play at Western Michigan with kickoff at 2 p.m.