Ex Aggies Punter Braden Mann Makes NFL History in Wild Game

Former Texas A&M punter Braden Mann experienced just about everything imaginable during Sunday's Philadelphia Eagles game against the New York Giants, including one of the most extraordinary punts the NFL has seen in 25 years.

Unfortunately, his afternoon also included a special teams disaster that helped New York secure a 19-11 victory.

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Mann, who won the prestigious Ray Guy Award during his college career with the Aggies, delivered the game's most remarkable highlight just before halftime.

With Philadelphia facing fourth-and-4 from its own 8-yard line and only 26 seconds remaining in the second quarter, Mann stepped into the end zone and unleashed an enormous punt.

The football sailed over Giants returner Charlie Jones before bouncing out of bounds at the New York 6-yard line.

The result? An incredible 86-yard punt.

It was the longest in the NFL since Rodney Williams delivered a 90-yarder for the Giants in Sept. 2001.

The kick also became the second-longest in Eagles franchise history, trailing only Randall Cunningham's legendary 91-yard effort against the Giants in 1989.

For Texas A&M fans, it was another reminder of the remarkable leg strength Mann displayed throughout his college career.

But his record-setting afternoon took an unexpected turn in the fourth quarter.

With Philadelphia trailing 16-8, Mann mishandled a snap while preparing to punt. He recovered the loose football, scrambled to his left and attempted to salvage the play with an improvised kick.

Instead, the punt traveled backward relative to the original line of scrimmage.

Officially, it went into the record book as a negative-2-yard punt.

The mistake handed the Giants possession deep in Philadelphia territory, and New York eventually capitalized with a 49-yard field goal from Dominic Zvada to extend its advantage to 19-8.

Talk about going from one extreme to the other.

Despite the costly mistake, Mann finished with eight punts for 384 yards, averaging 48 yards per attempt. He also delivered a 60-yard punt earlier in the second half.

His ability shouldn't surprise anyone who watched him at Texas A&M.

In 2018, Mann became the first Aggies player to win the Ray Guy Award after establishing an NCAA single-season record with a 51-yard punting average.

"This is a huge honor and an absolute blessing for me," Mann said when receiving the award.

The New York Jets subsequently selected him in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, launching a professional career that eventually brought him to Philadelphia.

Sunday's performance demonstrated why punters can be among football's most unpredictable difference-makers.

One kick pinned an opponent near its goal line and made NFL history.

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Another helped put the game out of reach.

For Mann, it was an afternoon he'll remember for two very different reasons.