Kylan Dupre is a class of 2022 punter/kicker for Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Dupre is 5’11” and 205 lbs. Kylan is a traveled punter who has a long list of accolades ranging from 2nd Team-All State to breaking records at Catholic. Dupre is a competitor, a punter who consistently pins the defense within their twenty, and a student who boasts a 3.4 GPA.
How long have you been playing football?
I have been playing since about 5th grade. My middle school football coach Chris Haney was the person who first got me into it. He knew I had a soccer background so he told me to come try out for the team. I fell in love with the game from there.
Do you play any other sports?
I used to play soccer, and I played baseball up until my junior year. However, this year I decided to step away from the team to pursue football but I want to be a team manager for them because I don’t want to abandon my teammates.
What is your preference, punter or kicker?
My preference is punter. I feel like field position is an overlooked aspect of games. When I am punting I can help the defense more because if the opposing offense is always starting around the 20, it is a lot harder for them to score.
What did your off-season training regiment look like?
My off-season was kind of spent all over the place. When I was in town, I would be going to high school lifts and running a lot. But through the support of my parents, I was also able to go around the country to different college camps and showcase camps to be able to show my ability on the field. It was a stressful time and definitely hard to manage but it all worked out in the end.
Do you have any goals for this season?
Really my main goal is to give everything I have. Knowing that these are my last high school games, I just want to know that I left everything out on the field. I don’t want to look back and think what more I could have done, I want to be satisfied knowing I had nothing more to give.
What is your field goal long in both practice and games?
Practice: 84 Game: 72
What is your average punt hang time?
4.4 4.5
How would your teammates describe you?
Really as anything but a punter. They always say I should have been a linebacker based on my physique and the way that they see me get after it in the weight room. I feel like I’m set apart from other punters in my work. My teammates know the work I put in for this team.
What is a part of your game that you feel will translate to the next level?
I feel like my best trait is my explosiveness on punting. Ever since I started getting serious about punting, coaches have always said that I have a very explosive leg kick. I think that is the biggest key for me to bring to the college level.
What is a part of your game that you feel like you need to get better at?
I would have to say my flexibility. A lot of punters and kickers can bring their kicking leg to about their shoulder pad or ear. I can only bring it around the bottom of my chest. This is something that I am working on right now and I think in time I will be able to get the kind of flexibility that I want. However, it is just not at that point where I’m satisfied with it right now.
Do you have any role models who have inspired you?
My parents have definitely inspired me the most. I see how invested they are in me every day, always pushing me to be better but never overbearing. All these kicking camps don’t come cheap, all the time and money that they have spent on me to try to have a career is something that really keeps me going.
What are you thinking pre-snap before a kick?
When I am lining up for a kick I first look into the distance for a landmark. Once I find my target, I just think “smooth rhythm, good drop, and good followthrough.” From there I just try to keep it simple.
What is something that recruiters should know about you?
If a college was to buy into me, I know that I would give my full effort and buy into them as well. I feel like I can be an example of what they want in their program. I will be there in the weight room, in the classroom, in the film room, and on the field.
Do you have a spot on the field you prefer to kick from on field goals?
I prefer to be on the left hash. My kicks tend to drift to the right, so when I am on the left hash I can make sure that I can really stay straight.
What is a time you went through significant adversity and how did you get through it?
My junior year we were matching up against STM, the team that I hit the game winner against during my sophomore year. We were down 2 with no time on the clock from 53 yards away, so we elected to kick the field goal. When I kicked it, the ball was on line but it came up short. Whenever I kick I never really look at the opposing sideline, I only look at the ball, but this time I decided to look at the crowd. Seeing the opposing fans erupt on the other sideline was probably the hardest moment of my career. Seeing that reaction made me want to work harder so something like that will never happen again.
Why do you play football?
When I was young I played because the coach really wanted me to. I have always been pretty big growing up so I played offensive line freshman year. But ever since I came to Catholic my entire mindset changed. Every time I step out on the field it just feels like we are a bunch of brothers going into war and I love that feeling. I really play for my teammates, coaches, and community because they are all so invested in me and the rest of the team.
Do you think football has affected you as a person?
Football has definitely affected me as a person. Our coaches always talk about different life values like pushing through and living life on the line. To me that means just putting your best foot forward in everything you do so that you don’t have any regrets. The coaches have instilled in me that everything is in my own hands. You have to work hard to create your fate because nothing comes easy.
Has football taught you any valuable lessons?
The biggest life lesson that I have learned from football is that you can find someone you can relate to from any background. It doesn’t matter what circumstances you came from once you have something you can relate to, you can become brothers and fight together every Friday night where nothing else matters.
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