Dante Atton "completely grateful" to become Temple's first single-digit punter
Dante Atton knew it was 3:30 a.m. back home in Australia, but he was calling his mother for good reason and with some great news.
The junior found out Wednesday that he was one of five Temple players to earn a single digit, a tradition established by former Owls head coach Al Golden that recognized players who lived the program’s “Temple Tuff” mindset on and off the field.
What’s significant for the Melbourne native is that he became the first punter in the program’s history to earn a single digit.
“To get the number of votes [Atton] got from the team and talk to different departments in this building and all of them go absolutely, what a great decision,” said head coach K.C. Keeler, who said leading up to the announcement that he and the program would be more selective in awarding single digits. “It was pretty easy. The coaching staff all felt the same way. This kid’s awesome and super-talented and such a great teammate.”
Atton, who said he was in “complete shock” upon receiving the news, averaged 40.5 yards per punt late season and logged a career-long kick of 66 yards later in the season at UTSA.
“I think coming to Temple, [earning a single digit is] always on your mind,” Atton said. “It’s always in the back of your mind. I knew a punter/kicker had never gotten a single digit, so it was always in the back of my mind to push to that.
“But this year, it was more about personal growth for me. I wasn’t really aiming for it, but I’m completely grateful for it.”
Listen to Atton tell his single-digit story during Thursday’s media day session with reporters.
