By Mark Schmerling

 

Stephen Doar is very good at punting a football.

 

The former Landrum High football star, most recently a punting standout at Presbyterian College, is coming off his final season there, in which he was selected to the First Team Big South All-Conference, and set a conference record in number of punts (80) in a season, and number of yards (3,083) punted in a season.

 

In addition, professional scouts have their eyes on him. Doar, the son of Sammy and Mandy Doar of Landrum, was also named to the CFPA2015 Special Teams Watch List, a national watch list of 34 punters from which the top punter is selected in January.

 

“It was a good way to end my college career,” Doar said recently. “I’m glad I got to come back.” He was red-shirted for his freshman year.

 

Doar, who began playing football in sixth grade, said, “I’d been playing baseball . . . Mom and Dad kept me away from football as long as they could.”

 

When officials of the Landrum Youth League held a whole team tryout for punting and kicking, “I ended up being the best one on the team to do it,” Doar explained. He also played other positions, including linebacker and wide receiver. Doar played on Landrum’s varsity team in his sophomore through senior seasons. Only a few freshmen made the Cardinals’ varsity.

 

Doar credited Tucker Hamrick, Landrum’s punting and kicking coach at the time, with helping his game, saying that a lot of the ability he got for punting and kicking came from him.

While a high school student, Doar attended summer camps. Eventually his talent caught the eyes of Division I and II teams.

 

While in high school, Doar “was a lifetime Clemson fan,” who wanted to attend Clemson and study engineering. Instead, he’s completing his business degree at Presbyterian. Doar realized that earning a starting kicking position at Clemson might prove difficult.

While Doar can also place-kick, “I think punting is the tougher of the two. We’re supposed to make it look easy.”

 

Though he place-kicked at Landrum, and also in his junior year at Presbyterian College, he realized that “When you do both, it’s hard to focus on the punting.”

 

Many kickers have an earlier background in soccer. However, Doar, who began playing football in sixth grade, took up soccer the next school year. He grew up with cousins he describes as “big soccer guys.”

 

“I had fun doing that (soccer) through high school,” Doar said.

 

Doar mentioned that at the time he was being recruited by Presbyterian College, two former Polk County High School players, Derek Overholt and Mike Ruff, had worked a trick play while at Presbyterian College, defeating Wake Forrest University.

 

“That,” Doar said, “added to the interest in Presbyterian College.”

 

In 2012, his first season after being red-shirted, Doar began making a name for himself.

 

Coming off the bench, he made his collegiate debut against Coastal Carolina, punting five times, for an average of an impressive 48 yards. Three of his kicks were over 50 yards, including one of 60 yards. Coastal Carolina returned just two of his punts, for a mere six yards.

 

In 2013, Doar’s 58 punts included 17 inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. He also made 17 of 18 extra point attempts, and kicked his first career (collegiate) field goal, a 34-yarder.

 

What’s next for Doar, or what is the possibility of him being offered a professional contract?

 

“All you’ve got to do,” he said, “is catch an eye.”

 

Catching a scout’s eye will take more than the latter’s look at PC’s recent season, in which the team won just two games. However, most games were close, decided by about three to ten points. The Blue Hose had great defense, and less good offense. If anything, that weaker offense gave Doar more chances to punt, and show what he could do.

 

Doar plans on attending PC’s Pro Day, where pro scouts can look more closely at prospects. He also might attend Wofford College’s Pro Day.

 

“All I’ve got do is catch the eye of the scouts,” Doar said. He plans to keep practicing in the hope that he’ll be noticed. He’s open to the possibility of being signed as a backup.

 

“I’m young. Why not?” he said of that possible scenario. “I have a great job already, and can move with it.” Doar currently lives in Greenville, S.C., where he recently moved.

 

It’s just getting your foot in the door,” he said of being signed as a backup punter. It could be the start of a relatively long career, as well.