Tom Edwards: Director

Tom has over 17 active years of experience as a player and a coach within the high school, college, and semi-pro football levels. As a player, he earned a letter at Hampden-Sydney College, and then he was a placekicker for five teams in the semi-pro league within Virginia. He also participated in a professional kickers combine in Dallas, Texas, matching up against former college players from football powers such as Tennessee and UVa. A quadriceps injury guided him to the sidelines as a coach soon thereafter.

As a semi-pro football coach, he coached two All-America players, one placekicker and one punter. Over that time, he has sharpened his ability to evaluate and coach players on techniques that maximize their ability for placekicking, as well as helping to improve their mental approach to the game. Deciding to give professional playing one last chance, Tom tried out for the Arena Football League in 2003, but he came up short due to the lingering quadriceps injury. He is currently a private kicking coach for several college and high school athletes. Tom once played in one football game a year as a placekicker in the annual “Charity Bowl” football game to benefit the Joy Fund—he played in this game 15 times until he retired in 2013. Tom is an advocate for knowledge and execution of proper techniques to maximize a placekicker’s ability to perform and self-evaluate. .

Brooks Crawford, Assistant Director:

rooks graduated in 2012 from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, VA. He was a punter and place kicker from Smithfield High School and has played football for 6 years. In 2005 he was selected as an All-District punter and Daily Press all-star for his work with the Smithfield Packers, while having a perfect season on field goal and extra point attempts. In 2006, he was selected as an All-District punter again, as well as the Associated Press's All-State punter, leading Virginia with his 45.6 yards per punt average with a longest of 79 yards. Following his senior year Brooks traveled across the country working out for various D-I and D-II special teams coaches before deciding on D-III Randolph-Macon, where he played varsity football for two years. He currently lives in Richmond, VA, where he coaches for Lee-Davis High School.

 

Corey Geiger, Coach:

Corey, a rising senior at Hampden-Sydney College, started at punter his freshman and sophomore years for the Tigers. At Western Branch High School he was a three-year starter and was named the special teams player of the year his senior season. Corey has now stepped away from football at HSC to focus on his academics and his entrance into medical school.


T.C. Stevens, Coach:

T.C. is the current placekicker for the Richmond Raiders of the Professional Indoor Football League, where he has been leading the Raiders in scoring the 2014 season as well as setting PIFL league records. T.C. earned all-league honors after the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He previously played for the Rio Grande Valley Dorados of afl2 in 2008. A 2009 graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, T.C. was a four-year starter, being named all-ODAC punter and kicker in 2006-08. He connected on 77 of his 87 PAT attempts, and hit 11 field goals, including a career long 42 yarder as a junior. He also led the ODAC in touchbacks for four straight years. T.C. earned ODAC all-academic team all four years as a Tiger. His high school career was played at Halifax High School, where he was named all-Western Valley District punter and kicker his junior and senior seasons, and was named all-region punter his senior year. He currently lives in Charlottesville, VA.


Max Antwerpes, Coach:

Max, a native of Germany, is a rising senior at Hampden-Sydney College where he is slated to return as the starting placekicker for the 2014 season. Max earned all-conference distinctions after his sophomore campaign, scoring a total of 71 points, including 11 in one game. He was a kickoff specialist for the Tigers during his freshman campaign. Max attended Central High School and Kenston Forrest School, earning all-state honors at both schools after his junior and senior seasons, respectively.


Heath Saunders, Coach:

Heath just completed his redshirt sophomore season for W&M, and the senior AKI veteran is expected to seriously complete for the Tribe’s starting kicker role. At Indian River High, Heath earned Virginia High School Coaches Association All-State kicker and punter as a senior, finished his career fourth in South Hampton Roads history in field goals made, earned first-team all-region and all-district honors as a kicker and a punter as a senior after converting 10-of-12 field goal attempts, posting 20 touchbacks (on 24 kickoffs), kicking a school-record 48-yard field goal and recording a 42-yard punting average. He also was selected first-team All-Tidewater by the Virginian Pilot in 2011, tabbed first-team All-757 as a kicker in 2011, and was the IRHS Team MVP as a senior. He garnered all-district honors as a kicker in 2010 and was a first-team All-757 selection and lettered three times in soccer and was a two-time all-district selection as a midfielder. He served as SCA President during his senior year, yearbook Editor-in-Chief, was a member of the National Honor Society and Model UN.


Austin Norton, Coach:

A three-year starter at Menchville High school in Newport News, Austin led the Monarchs in scoring each year. A multi-year AKI veteran, the 2014 CNU alumnus was a vital contributing member of the Captain’s football squad for four seasons. Austin played three years for Menchville High head coach John Byron in the Peninsula District, where he was a member of the National Honor Society.


Tracy Murden, Coach:

Tracy just completed his senior season for the Yellow Jackets where he handled the punting duties, which earned him All-America recognition. Tracy was second in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) in punting at 40.3 yards per kick. He had 11 punts inside the 20 and just one touchback. Four of his 27 punts traveled 50 or more yards and opponents had seven fair catches. Randolph-Macon was second in the nation in net punting at 37.90 and first in punt return defense at 1.38 yards per return. Tracy was also 2-2 passing on fake punts for 25 yards and ran twice for 26 yards. Tracy was First Team All-South Region by D3football.com and Second Team All-ODAC. Tracy is a native of Charlotte, NC, where he played football at Audrey Kell.


Trent Martin, Coach:

In his redshirt freshman season at Marshall University, Trent appeared in three games (Western Carolina, Houston, and East Carolina) and kicked the ball off 20 times averaging 53.6 yards per kickoff, recording two touchbacks. Now at UVa-Wise, Trent is looking to step into the starting role as the Cavaliers’ starting kicker and punter, battling fellow AKI veteran Dylan McCormick. While at Kellum High School, Trent garnered numerous awards and recognitions, including all-conference and all-region.

 

Chris Moller, Coach:

Chris is expected to handle all of the Bears’ field goal kicking duties this year as he possesses a potent combination of leg power and accuracy, and he will also be the back-up punter. As a redshirt freshman in 2013, Chris led the team in scoring with 56 points, finished as one of the leading kickers in the MEAC by connecting on 10-of-16 field goals, and hit a 44-yard field goal against Florida A&M. Under Woodside High School Coach Danny Dodson, Chris set a Peninsula District record with 13 field goals in 16 attempts. He hit three field goals to help clinch the program's first Peninsula District championship. Chris earned All-District selection, all-757Preps First Team, All-Region, All-Virginia Preps, and connected on 21 of 25 field goals during his prep career. He also punted and started his career as a soccer player.

 

Chase Bradley, Coach:

A two-time all-district punter and Woodside High School, Chase also earned all-district honors as a kicker and was named to the Daily Press all-star team. Among the very first AKI veterans, Chase brings his extensive knowledge of the punting and kicking game to the experienced staff of AKI.

 

Jordan Chalkley, Coach:

A rising junior at Hampden-Sydney College, where he is slated to return as the starting punter for the 2014 season, Jordan is returning to the Tigers’ roster after an off-field injury wiped out his 2013 campaign. Jordan was a star punter and kicker for the Saints of St. Christopher’s School in Richmond.

 

Shane Palmateer, Coach:

Before enrolling at CNU, Shane redshirted at Old Dominion University as a long snapper. The current Captain sophomore went to St. Anne's Belfield where he played all four years as the long snapper, a linebacker, and full back for Coach John Blake. Shane was a three-time conference champion and won a state championship, earning All-Conference honors as a linebacker three times and twice as a running back. He was also a two-time All-State selection as a linebacker and once as a running back, a three-time All-Central Virginia selection, and was named Conference Defensive Player of the Year. As a senior, Shane totaled 97 tackles, including 53 solo stops, with three interceptions and three forced fumbles. He also played lacrosse, and was named a 2010 Adidas All-American and first-team Virginia Prep League.

 

Ryan Morris, Coach:

An AKI veteran, the strong-legged Morris spent his first year of college football at Central Connecticut State University. He will be transferring to Virginia Tech in the spring of 2015, looking to make the Hokies’ roster. Ryan played football at Liberty High School, helping his team to a pair of district championships. He was a team captain, an All-District selection at kicker, and a Kicking World Honorable Mention All-American. Ryan also served as a captain on his soccer team.

 

Nick Henderson, Coach:

Among the first AKI veterans, CNU alumnus Nick saw action in six games in his first year with the Captains, where he made an extra point versus Maryville and had a season total of 23 kick-offs. Nick played his freshamn year at perennial national power Wesley College in Delaware where they earned the NCAA South Region Championship. Nick had two kickoffs with an average of 58.5 yds. Nick played three years of football for Coach Matt Lawson at Tabb High, winning a District Co-Championship his junior year and led the district kickers in scoring his junior and senior years. Nick earned all-district honorable mention his junior year and a Daily Press All-Star second team his senior year. He also played soccer all four years and was an honor roll student and National Honor Society member.

 

AJ Williams, Coach:

AJ is a multi-year AKI veteran since he became a three-year starter at Tallwood High School, earning all-district honors twice. He earned the starting kicking role at Shenandoa University his freshman year. AJ is now a junior at Old Dominion University, to where he transferred to pursue his academic goals.

 

Chelsea Russell, Athletic Training:

A rising senior at Lynchburg College, Chelsea had garnered experience in the training field with Lynchburg College athletic teams and with UVa’s varsity teams, namely the nationally-ranked baseball team. As an avid athlete, she brings personal experience into her training.