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Steelers punter Sepulveda out for season with knee injury
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers punter Daniel Sepulveda is out for the season with a torn ACL in his right knee.

The Steelers claimed punter Paul Ernster off waivers from the Detroit Lions to replace Sepulveda, who will go on injured reserve. Ernster played for the Browns last year, facing the Steelers in the opener.

"He's a veteran guy who's been in the league," Kevin Colbert, director of football operations, said of Ernster.

Sepulveda, who kicks with his left foot, had surgery to repair a torn ACL in April before his final season at Baylor. He punted that season and said today that he's not sure if rushing his return then might have lead to the re-injury now.

He said his knee didn't feel right during warm up Monday. An MRI showed a tear. He will have surgery soon.

Sepulveda, drafted out of Baylor in the fourth round last year, had a good rookie season with the Steelers and they were counting on him getting better this year.

He averaged 42.4 yards a punt last year, with 28 of his 68 punts landing inside the 20-yard line.

The Steelers traded draft picks in the fourth and sixth rounds to move higher in the fourth round in order to draft Sepulveda.

The Steelers did not have another true punter in camp. Julian Rauch, an undrafted rookie from Appalachian State, is on the roster. He is listed as a kicker but also can punt and was handling the punting chores at training camp this afternoon.

http://post-gazette.com/pg/08211/900321-66.stm

Never wish a player to have harm but

muwhahhahha

They should've signed the Hulkster instead.

This was the guy who botched the snap against the Steelers last year.

Oh the irony.

Isnt ernster the bum who had the 15 yard punt? Oh god I love it...

Block that kick!

Cribbs should be salivating over this

Chris Gardocki is one phone call away.

why'd they get rid of gardocki in the first place? we had him--he was good--then we got rid of him. Never take STs for granted--he did well under Butch and Palmer--then we gave him to Pgh and had to suffer with Derrick Frost and Kyle Richardson before getting Zastudil.

Gardocki's been in the league awhile. I remember seeing him when he was with the Bears in the '90s.

i never understood why we got rid of gardocki, i always thought he was a good punter
i don't think he ever had a punt blocked. He hadn't in his career when he left us in FA

They got rid of Gardocki because he started looking not so good his last year there, and then they drafted Sepulveda. Kid's got a heck of a leg, too.

Sucks that if the Hulkster gets any kicks this year he won’t be able to lower the bar all the way down like he used to after the NFL rule change this year. He’ll have to have two screws in it and it will be stationary.

I will enjoy watching us field kicks against ole "Punty McOnebar" in week 2.