It’s a typical hot summer day. He can hear the kids down the road at Expo pool if he listens closely. But Alex Herrington isn’t listening to the kids; he’s listening to his girlfriend, Morgan, saying, "Can we go yet?"

She’s been "returning" punts for him for what seems like hours, probably because it has been.

He’s working on his form, practicing what the coaches at premiere punting and kicking camps have taught him. Trying to hit the ball in the exact same spot every time, with as much power as his massive legs can muster.

If it were up to Herrington he’d do this for a living, and in a way, it kind of is up to him.

"I just want to punt in college, preferably a school that has a winning tradition. If it goes any further than that I’d be really thankful," said Herrington, a senior at the high school.

Although Herrington wants to punt in college, that’s not the only spot on the field colleges are considering him for.

"I’ve gotten a few letters to play on the line," said Herrington. "I’m not exactly sure how I feel about it though."

Those letters included one from Iowa State, inviting Herrington to come to a home game. His official visit was on Sept. 6, the day the Iowa Hawkeyes thrashed the home team that invited him.

"I guess they need a good punter though, right?" he joked afterward.

Herrington started taking his punting skill seriously after his junior year when he was named to First Team All-Conference for his consistently deep boots.

This past summer, punting was his main focus. He even attended a Ray Guy punting camp, which is often acclaimed as the best camp, run by the best punter, ever.

"I worked on punting and lifted every day this summer. Except when I went to church camp. That was my weeklong break," Herrington said.

Although Herrington has established himself as one of the best punters in the state, that’s not necessarily even the best part. It’s the fact that he excels in three different parts of the game that makes him impressive.

After playing on both sides of the line and punting, Herrington is usually in the game for around 130 plays. Through all that, he still manages to find the strength to pin opponents down inside the 20 over and over again.

"Sometimes I get really tired, but I always tell myself the harder I work, the sooner I’ll get a break," said Herrington.

He wants to be a teacher after graduating college and wants to coach football along with some other sports.

"It would be nice to go to a good teaching school," Herrington said.

If the whole punting in college thing doesn’t work out though, he’s still got a backup plan.

"I could always just go to college like everyone else, without sports. But it definitely wouldn’t be as fun, or cheap," said Herrington.

But money probably won’t be much of an issue even if football doesn’t pay his way through, because academic scholarships should be easy to come by for him.

On top of being a stud athlete, Herrington also holds a very high GPA, is Student Body President, participates in NCYL and NHS, plays guitar for his youth group band and referees soccer.

Oh yeah, he also reigns as the Homecoming King in his spare time. It’s safe to say that if there’s anything more impressive than his punting, it is his time management and leadership skills.