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Schovanec Part of 35 Under 35
12/8/2025 10:14:00 AM | Football
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic football's Special Teams Coordinator Tyler Schovanec has been honored and will participate in the "American Football Coaches Association Foundation's (AFCA) 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute. The one-day event is designed to identify and train rising leaders in the game of football and the coaching profession.
The institute will feature interactive lectures on topics that include ethics, leadership, NCAA rules, financial management, the hiring process, and athlete safety. Members become a part of a prestigious network of rising coaches in the profession, along with many other benefits.
Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Zach Kittley, who also participated in the AFCA 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute, tapped Schovanec as one of his first hires at Florida Atlantic in December of 2024 and was tasked with producing a top-tier special teams unit which returned just two players, one of whom redshirted in 2024. His mission was a success in several areas. The 2025 season concluded with redshirt senior long snapper Jackson Lee being named first-team all-conference by the American.
Under Schovanec's watch, redshirt senior kicker Garrison Smith converted a single-season program record 84% of his field goal attempts and did not miss an extra point for the entire season, continuing the Owls' streak dating back to November 2021. Redshirt senior punter Logan Lupo averaged a career-best 45.0 yards per punt.
In the return game, redshirt junior wide receivers Jayshon Platt and Easton Messer made their mark, with Platt ranking No. 4 nationally in kick return yards (613) and Messer setting a single-season program record in punt return average (20.8). The Owls also blocked two punts that both resulted in touchdowns, tied for second most in Division I.
FOLLOW ON SOCIAL
Stay informed by reading FAUSports.com or through social media accounts @FAUFootball.
The institute will feature interactive lectures on topics that include ethics, leadership, NCAA rules, financial management, the hiring process, and athlete safety. Members become a part of a prestigious network of rising coaches in the profession, along with many other benefits.
Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Zach Kittley, who also participated in the AFCA 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute, tapped Schovanec as one of his first hires at Florida Atlantic in December of 2024 and was tasked with producing a top-tier special teams unit which returned just two players, one of whom redshirted in 2024. His mission was a success in several areas. The 2025 season concluded with redshirt senior long snapper Jackson Lee being named first-team all-conference by the American.
Under Schovanec's watch, redshirt senior kicker Garrison Smith converted a single-season program record 84% of his field goal attempts and did not miss an extra point for the entire season, continuing the Owls' streak dating back to November 2021. Redshirt senior punter Logan Lupo averaged a career-best 45.0 yards per punt.
In the return game, redshirt junior wide receivers Jayshon Platt and Easton Messer made their mark, with Platt ranking No. 4 nationally in kick return yards (613) and Messer setting a single-season program record in punt return average (20.8). The Owls also blocked two punts that both resulted in touchdowns, tied for second most in Division I.
FOLLOW ON SOCIAL
Stay informed by reading FAUSports.com or through social media accounts @FAUFootball.
Players Mentioned
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