Name: Chris TilbeyPosition: Punter
Class: RS Sophomore
Size: 6-foot-5, 205 lbs.
Age: 22
Last College: San Francisco CC
Game: With a background in Australian rules football, a sport in which the most efficient way to move the ball is an accurate punt-like kick to a teammate, Tilbey has excelled at directional punting this season. His ability to pin the ball inside the 20 has extinguished USC opponents' hopes at returning punts. USC is tied for second in the nation with only 4 punt return plays allowed and sixth in the nation with a total of 18 punt return yards allowed all year.
Prep Career: As a freshman at San Francisco City College in 2014, Tilbey played punter and tight end. He averaged 39.4 yards on 54 punts, with 19 pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line, 9 being fair caught and 3 going for touchbacks. In high school, he played Australian rules football, basketball and cricket.
Clay Helton on Tilbey: "We've got one of the better punters in our league right now that can place the ball with Chris Tilbey."
Fun Fact: Tilbey is the only Trojan football letterman ever born in Australia.
Here is Tilbey on the path that led him to USC, special teams coach John Baxter and how he's come to love the Trojan Family:
