Joey Julius
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Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 26, 1995 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 258 lb (117 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Lower Dauphin High School |
| College | Penn State (2014–2016) |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Joseph Thomas Julius (born March 26, 1995) is a former college football kicker for the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Julius was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and grew up in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, where he played football for Lower Dauphin High School. He lettered four times as a punter and kicker, additionally playing defensive line, and was a two-time all-state selection, and he was named to the USA Today All-Pennsylvania Team.[1]
College career
As a redshirt freshman at Penn St. in 2015, Julius led the Big Ten and was number 21 nationally with an .833 field goal percentage, and he was selected to the BTN.com All-Freshman Team.[1] At 258 pounds, ESPN called Julius the "hardest-hitting kicker in college football".[2]
Julius made national headlines and received a "cult following" for his powerful hits against opposing players on kickoffs, with most videos going viral.[3][4][5][6][7][8] Because of Julius' reputation for taking down opposing players, he himself became a target of blockers, as several players "returned the favor".[9][10] Fans began calling him "Big Toe Joe".[11]
It was reported in July 2017, that Julius left the Penn State program. College football writer Barrett Sallee wrote, that Julius' "talents will be missed on the field in 2017, but he has more important challenges to face moving forward. Hopefully he attacks them with the same kind of tenacity that he did while storming downfield on kickoffs."[12]