2020 Football Roster
Roster
Wilkins, Laine
Jersey Number 22
Laine Wilkins
- Position:
- P
- Height:
- 6-2
- Weight:
- 210
- Class:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- Perth, Australia
- Prev School:
- ProKick Australia
Bio
Student-Athlete Features
Houston Chronicle – UH’s Wilkins another punter from Down Under
As a Junior (2023)
- Earned Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology-Sports Administration
- Second Team Fall Academic All-Big 12 Conference
- Houston’s primary punter and holder
- 48 punts for 2,022 yards
- 42.1 yards per punt ranked fifth in Big 12
- 22.4% of punts returned ranked as third lowest in Big 12 (min. 40 punts)
- Opponents 4.0 yards per return ranked as second lowest in Big 12 (min. 40 punts)
- Downed 15 punts inside the 20-yard line
- Booted eight punts 50+ yards
- Season long 66-yard punt at Rice (Sept. 9)
- UH’s Special Teams Player of Week vs. Sam Houston (Sept. 23)
- Downed both punts inside 20-yard line vs. Sam Houston
- Three punts downed inside 20-yard line during win vs. UTSA (Sept. 2)
- Also added two punts of 50+ yards vs. Roadrunners
- Five punts for 231 yards including 61-yarder vs. Cincinnati (Nov. 11)
As a Sophomore (2022)
- Played all 13 games at punter and holder (118 total snaps)
- 40 punts for 1,749 yards (43.7 average)
- Downed 10 punts inside 20-yard line
- Nine punts for 50+ yards
- Helped Cougars rank third in The American in net punting
- Averaged 51.40 yards on five punts at Texas Tech (Sept. 10)
- 67-yard punt and three downed inside 20-yard line at Texas Tech
- UH’s Special Teams Player of Week vs. Rice (Sept. 24)
- Three fair catches, two downed inside 20-yard line vs. Rice
- First career tackle in Independence Bowl vs. Louisiana (Dec. 23)
- All-American Athletic Conference Honorable Mention
- 2021-22 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team
- Appeared in all 14 games
- Averaged 41.8 yards per punt
- 13 punts of 50-plus yards
- Four 50-plus yard punts vs. Texas Tech (Sept. 4)
- Season-high for longest punt with a 56 yarder vs. Navy (Sept. 25)
As a Freshman (2020)
- 2020-21 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team
- Appeared in all eight games
- 38 punts for 1,583 yards (41.7 average)
- Punting average ranked 18th in Houston single-season history
- Did not allow a positive punt return
- Helped Cougars rank second nationally with -1.25 yards per return
- Averaged 51.5 yards per punt at Navy (Oct. 24)
- Season-best 62-yard punt at Navy
- Downed five punts inside the 20-yard line at No. 6 Cincinnati (Nov. 7)
Prior to Houston
- Picked up art of punting at ProKick Australia
- Trained at the same academy as former Cougar punter Dane Roy
- Joined Houston as mid-year enrollee in January
Personal
- Nickname: Aussie – because he is Australian
- Hobbies: playing basketball, watching AFL(Australian Football League), hanging out with his wife
- Dream job outside of football: becoming an AFL coach
- Hidden talent: can dunk a basketball
- One word to describe himself on the field: reliable
- If he could eat one food for the rest of his life: fish and chips (fries)
- His motivation for working hard: his family back home in Australia and his wife
- Best advice: have fun
- Highlight of his life: played Australian football for my country was a part of the AIS (Australian Institute of Sports)
- Sports hero: Michael Jordan because he is the “GOAT”
- Most memorable athletic feat: playing Australian Football at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) – the biggest stadium in Australia
- Unique fact: got married in May 2022
Postgame Press Conference: Football vs. Stephen F. Austin
Friday, August 29
Press Conference: Head Coach Willie Fritz Previews SFA
Monday, August 25
Camp Availability: Head Coach Willie Fritz
Monday, August 04
Camp Availability: Defensive Coordinator Austin Armstrong
Friday, August 01