Chris Gradone

Height:
6-2
Weight:
200
Position:
P
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Cincinnati, Ohio
High School:
St. Xavier

2014: Served as NU's starting punter in his final season with the Wildcats, averaging 37.9 yards per punt on 65 attempts ... Kicked five times with a long of 45 yards vs. Illinois ... Netted career-best average of 47.0 yards per punt at Notre Dame ... Matched career high with eight punts against Nebraska ... Four of seven punts against Wisconsin landed inside the 20 and three of those four were inside the 10 ... Against Western Illinois, landed six of his seven punts inside the opposing 20-yard line and averaged 44.2 yards per kick -- with a season-long kick of 55 yards -- earning Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors as a result ... Also had a strong outing vs. Northern Illinois, averaging 42.0 yards on eight punts (three inside 20) ... Punted five times vs. Cal in season-opener ... Named NU's Special Teams Player of the Game vs. Western Illinois ... Academic All-Big Ten.

2013: Played in four games as a sophomore, earning the first-string punter duties over the final three weeks of the season ... Debuted with a 42-yard punt in week three during a win over Western Michigan ... Two punts vs. Michigan on Nov. 16 ... Four punts against Michigan State on Nov. 23 -- including an NU season-long of 61 yards -- with three landing inside the 20 ... Also had four punts vs. Illinois with a 36.5-yard average.

2012: Did not appear in any games while backing up junior Brandon Williams.

2011: Redshirted his true freshman season.

High School: First-team All-GCL South and second-team all-region punter as a senior ... Cincinnati Enquirerfirst-team all-city choice ... Averaged 40.7 yards per punt over 54 punts, the second-best season average in St. Xavier history ... Punted 33 times as a junior and held opponents to a school-record (-6) yards per punt return ... Career single-game best of 47.2 yards per punt came vs. Cleveland St. Ignatius in 2010 ... Team won back-to-back city championships and a 2009 GCL South championship ... 2010 regional finalist and 2009 regional semifinalist ... National Honor Society member.

Personal: Born Richard Christopher Gradone ... Son of Rick and Lesley Gradone ... Majoring in industrial engineering and economics.