Syracuse Football: Get To Know Your Orange Man - #41 Shane Raupers

We're counting down every SU football player, one a day, from Chandler Jones (#99) to Phil Thomas (#1). Keep track of every player profile right here.

Next up on your Orange-Man Orientation, #41, Shane Raupers ("But wait, you said Donnie Simmons wears No. 41." I know, they haven't updated the roster yet so, deal with it)

Position: Punter

Year: Junior

Height: 5'9"

Weight: 182 pounds

Hometown: Athens, PA

High School: Athens Area

2010 Stats: None, because he wasn't on the team, which we'll get to in a minute.

2011 Projections: Raupers is likely going to be our backup punter and super-emergency placekicker for the season. Raupers was listed as the No. 1 punter on the roster going into spring ball but odds are that Jon Fisher will be the go-to guy once the freshman gets settled. Still, there's a lot of camp to be played and Raupers is a good athlete. Expect a fierce battle. And hey, he was originally supposed to be a placekicker so, who knows where he'll end up...

How'd He Get Here?: Originally, Raupers sounded like a great package. He was a four-year starting QB and kicker as well as three-year starter at defensive back kick returner in high school. He may well have been the entire football team.

After a turrible 2009 spring practice, Doug Marrone went out and signed Raupers to shore up the kicking game. The kicker received overtures from BC and Penn State as well, but no offers. Shane came to SU extremely excited and eager to kick things up a notch with some trick plays.

Then, two days into camp, Raupers up and quit the team. That opened the door for the legend of LICHTENSTEIN!!! and closed the door on his SU career...or so we thought.

Re-enter the Raupers in March as a walk-on and all of a sudden, the Orange are flush with kickers. Rauper said he "made a mistake" about his first term with the team. We assume he won't make the same mistake twice.

Scouts/Rivals Said: Didn't find him on Scout but Rivals left him unrated.

Money Quote: "It was all my fault. I made a mistake and people learn from mistakes. I'm trying to take as much advantage as I can right now." - Raups on his Cuse career 2.0.

Links of Wonder: Here's a picture of Shane dressed up like Buzz Lightyear because that's what happens on the Internet now.

Doug Marrone Thinks: Nothing specific but apparently Marrone didn't take too kindly to Shane's quitting the first time around.

"I've been trying to come back since I left," he explained, "Writing e-mails, making calls. With Doug (Marrone) here, with my decision to leave before, they just didn't give me the chance."

Eventually, he did.

Interesting Nugget O'Interest: Raups is a member of Syracuse's track & field team, competing in the javelin.

Let Us Get A Good Look Atchya:  Here's some kicking highlights as well as an interview Raupers gave after a practice in the spring...