Utah Utes

Utah's kicker and punter had never played football before joining team

Published Sep. 24, 2015 5:59 p.m. ET

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Junior place kicker Andy Phillips and senior punter Tom Hackett are two of the best players in the country, dominating for Utah's incredible special teams unit.

But in a recent profile on Sports Illustrated's Campus Rush blog, fans learned that neither had played a snap of football before making the Utah squad. Phillips is 26 years old, with a son, and dreamed of being a ski-racing Olympic star. He went on a two-year mission to Norway, where he did not train for the Olympics. 

He also played soccer until his junior year of high school.

"It's unique to have just one of us [on the team] who had never played football," said Phillips. "Two is crazy."

Hackett, 23, is from Australia -- he speaks with a thick accent -- and played Australian football (different rules) until learning an Australian was headed to the NFL. He wanted that path, too. 

(h/t Campus Rush)

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