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UCF S Ty Bartrum Earning Special Team Reps in Camp
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- UCF S Ty Bartrum Earning Special Team Reps in Camp
(Russell Lansford/Imagn Images)
Special teams mean a little more to Ty Bartrum, who watched his father, Mike Bartrum, carve out a 13-year NFL career.
Mike Bartrum played long snapper and tight end for four teams: the Kansas City Chiefs , Green Bay Packers , New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles .
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He instilled the value of special teams in his son. Ty Bartrum believes that group is very important to winning programs and organizations.
"I saw it firsthand," Ty Bartrum told local reporters on Monday . "He's taught me a bunch of things. If we need, I mean, I haven't told Coach Alamar, but if we need a snap, I can snap."
The Harvard transfer said UCF Knights special teams coach Pete Alamar has him at personal protector, blocking for the punter. With a prominent role, he's learning to master what Alamar is asking of him on the field.
"Studying everything I need to do and be able to make checks," Ty Bartrum said. "Field position is the name of the game."
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Ty Bartrum was a big fish in a small pond at Harvard in the FCS. Now, he's one of several transfers jumping to the FBS to prove they can compete against elite talent.
The 6-foot-1 safety is joining a senior-laden group of defensive backs that helped UCF's defense rank eighth in the Big 12 .
At Harvard, he ended his last season as one of the best defensive players in the Ivy League. He earned the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston's Bulger Lowe Award alongside All-Ivy League 1st Team and helped his team reach the FCS Playoffs in the Ivy League's first eligible season.
Tackling is his strongest on-field attribute. The Pomeroy, Ohio, native totaled 83 tackles (27 solo), two forced fumbles, an interception and three pass breakups last season. He tallied a season-high 14 tackles twice against Stetson and Yale.
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If Ty Bartrum played for the Knights last season, he'd have ranked second in tackles behind linebacker Lewis Carer, who led the team with 92.
The Knights bolstered their defensive depth in the offseason. It has fueled competition across the board, iron sharpening iron as the start of the season nears.
Like the rest of the newcomers, Ty Bartrum wants to help UCF win a conference championship . He said it doesn't matter whether he gets 10 reps or 100; that's his goal.
He will contribute to the Knights' success one way or another, whether it's making crucial tackles as the last line of defense or following in his father's footsteps and carving out a career as a special teamer.
