Daniel Sparks

HONORS
2024 – Ray Guy Award Preseason Watchlist … Shrine Bowl 1,000 preseason watchlist.  2023 – Named to the ACC All-Academic Team … Military Bowl STEM Scholar Athlete … One of 50 punters included on Ray Guy Award preseason watch list… Preseason All-ACC selection … Named to the Athlon Sports Preseason All-ACC First Team Specialists.  2022 – Second Team All-ACC (ninth Cavalier punter ever to earn All-ACC accolade) … Associated Press Second Team All-ACC … Phil Steele Fourth Team All-ACC… ACC co-Specialist of the Week (Nov. 15) … First Team VaSID All-State … Ray Guy Award Watch List … named UVA’s Specialist of the Year at program’s annual awards banquet … All-ACC Academic Team.

AT VIRGINIA
2024 – Credited with a 66-yard punt, his longest punt of the season, in 24-19 win at No. 23 Pittsburgh (11/9) … eclipsed the 11 career 60-yard punts by Russ Henderson (1975-78) for the most ever by a Cavalier against North Carolina (10/26) … recorded a 62-yard punt in 24-14 win over Boston College (10/5) … credited with a 60-yard punt in 43-24 win at Coastal Carolina (9/21). 2023 – Averaged 42.9 yards per punt in all 12 possible appearances … Voted as one of five team captains at the conclusion of the season … Averaged 50.2 yards on five punts in UVA’s win at North Carolina … Recorded a career-long 70-yard punt at Boston College … Punted a career-high nine times and accumulated 398 yards and also matched a career high with three punts downed inside the 20-yard line against Tennessee.  2022 – One of five team captains voted on by the players at the end of the season … Appeared in all 10 games … matched the UVA single-season punting average record, led the ACC and finished eighth in the country with a 45.9 yards per kick … Punted eight times for 409 yards against Pitt (Nov. 12) including a season-long, 63-yarder … Had three 60+ yard punts in the contest, the first UVA punter ever with three 60-yarders in a game.

PRIOR TO VIRGINIA (AT LOUISIANA-MONROE)
Played in all ten games at the University of Louisiana-Monroe during the 2020 season as a freshman … Punted 30 times and averaged 44.6 yards per punt, landing five inside the 20-yard line … average was second-best in the Sun Belt Conference … Kicked off 33 times, averaged 55.3 yards on kickoffs and recorded six touchbacks … Transferred to the University of Minnesota in January of 2021 as a sophomore and did not see game action during the 2021 season.

HIGH SCHOOL
Graduate of Gadsden City High School in Gadsden, Alabama … Went 6-of-8 on field goals and 19-of-20 on extra points … Had a 46-yard average on punts and 12 touchbacks on kickoffs in 2019 as a senior … Chosen as AJSTS 2019 Special Teams Player of the Year … Member of the 2019 All-Messenger football team at punter … Was also a standout soccer player, making the All-Etowah County team after finishing the shortened 2020 season as the team leader in goals scored … Coached by Ali Smith.

PERSONAL
Son of Dan and Kim Sparks … Has two siblings (Kathryn and Matthew) … Father, Dan, played college soccer at Lee University … Majoring in Biology.