Spencer Davis Lanning (born May 21, 1988) is a former American football punter who played three years in the National Football League (NFL), almost exclusively with the Cleveland Browns. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks.
 Lanning with the Browns in 2012 | |||||||||
| No. 2, 3 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Punter | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | May 21, 1988 Rock Hill, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | York (SC) Comprehensive | ||||||||
| College: | South Carolina | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2011 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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College career
editLanning finished his collegiate career with the South Carolina Gamecocks with 171 punts for a 42.6-yard average and 46 punts inside the 20-yard line. He also played kicker during his final two collegiate seasons, connecting on 34 of 44 field goal attempts and 80 of 84 extra points.[1]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
195 lb (88 kg) | |||||||||||
| Values from South Carolina's Pro Day[2] | ||||||||||||
Chicago Bears
editLanning was originally signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2011.
Jacksonville Jaguars
editLanning was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as a free agent on January 4, 2012,[3] and later released by the team on April 28.[4]
New York Jets
editLanning was claimed off waivers by the New York Jets on August 28, 2012.[5] He was waived by the Jets on August 31, 2012.[6]
Sacramento Mountain Lions
editIn 2012, he signed with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League.
Cleveland Browns
editLanning was signed by the Cleveland Browns on May 2, 2012.[7] Lanning was re-signed as a free agent by the Browns February 13, 2013.[8] On September 22, 2013, in a 31–27 win over the Minnesota Vikings, Lanning recorded a touchdown pass, punt, and an extra point. He became the first player to accomplish such a feat since Sam Baker in 1968.[9] Lanning garnered media attention following a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 7, 2014. When Lanning attempted to tackle Steelers punt returner Antonio Brown, Brown "attempted" to hurdle the punter and kicked Lanning in the face. Brown was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play and received an $8,200 fine.[10]
Lanning was released on June 6, 2015, when the Browns traded for longtime San Francisco 49ers punter Andy Lee.[11]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
editLanning was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on June 9, 2015. He was later released by the team on August 13, 2015.
Denver Broncos
editThe Denver Broncos claimed Lanning off waivers on August 14, 2015. He was released by the team on August 31, 2015.
Chicago Bears (second stint)
editThe Chicago Bears signed Lanning on October 3, 2015, to punt for Week 4 in place of the injured Pat O'Donnell.[12] He was released by the team on October 6.[13] In his lone game with the Bears, Lanning punted three times for 156 yards with a net average of 35.7.[14]
Personal life
editOn November 11, 2014, Lanning became engaged to Brittany Jasenski.
References
edit- ^ "Player Bio - Spencer Lanning" (PDF). Jaguars Media Guide. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
- ^ "2011 NFL Draft Scout Spencer Lanning College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
- ^ "Jaguars sign punter Spencer Lanning". Jaguars.com. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
- ^ Oehser, John. "Inside the Jaguars". Jaguars.com. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
- ^ Cimini, Rich (August 28, 2012). "Jets claim punter on waivers". ESPN New York. Archived from the original on August 31, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ^ Lange, Randy (August 31, 2012). "Final 7 Cuts Announced, Roster's Now at 53". New York Jets. Archived from the original on September 2, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ^ Cabot, Mary Kay (May 3, 2012). "Cleveland Browns awarded punter Spencer Lanning off waivers from Jacksonville". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
- ^ "Browns sign Spencer Lanning, some punter cover". February 13, 2013.
- ^ Reed, Tom (September 23, 2013). "Cleveland Browns' Spencer Lanning makes history, takes grief in win over Minnesota Vikings". cleveland.com. The Plain Dealer. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- ^ Brown, Scott (September 11, 2014). "Antonio Brown fined $8,200 for kick". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- ^ Sessler, Marc. "Browns acquire 49ers punter Andy Lee for draft pick". NFL.com. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
- ^ "With Pat O'Donnell sidelined, Bears sign P Spencer Lanning".
- ^ "Bears ink Martin, Becton; cut Lanning". www.chicagobears.com. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ^ "Net Punting Average Leaders - All Players". ESPN. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
External links
edit- Career statistics and player information from