Shane Raupers Syracuse path wasn’t kind.
One day you’re the starting kicker. Next day, you’ve left the team. Three months later, you’re dressed as Buzz Lightyear from a Toy Story for Halloween.
Rauper’s departure from The Hill was like most of the roster turnover that Marrone oversaw this summer: Sudden and unpsoken.
Ryan Lichtenstein’s story was recentlytold by the Watertown Daily Times.
“ESPN recruiting had him rated at 45 out of 100 – below average for kicking recruits, and hardly worth a scholarship. But ESPN, Syracuse and coach Doug Marrone didn’t know the stars were slowly coming together.
Lichtenstein came to SU preseason camp as the No. 2 kicker on the depth chart behind then-starter Shane Raupers. Three weeks later, Raupers abruptly left the program.
Marrone then had to decide whether Lichtenstein’s foot was worth a scholarship. And it didn’t appear at first like it was, especially once Marrone brought in Jake Smith, who had been headed to Milford Academy to prepare for Division I football.”
Now if Lichtenstein and Smith would dress up as Woody and Mr. Potato Head, we might just have some kicker unity.
