By Michael Leonard / Twinsburg Bulletin
The amazing story that is the life of Twinsburg graduate Zoltan Mesko added another chapter Feb. 5.
From childhood in Romania to Twinsburg to the University of Michigan to being drafted as a punter by the New England Patriots, Mesko has packed a ton of experiences and accolades into his young life.
However, he and his teammates just missed earning the accolade of Super Bowl champion in Super Bowl XLVI.
Mesko and the Patriots lost 21-17 to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl,
Mesko had three punts in the game, averaging 41 yards per punt with a long kick of 48 yards.
On his last punt, Mesko pinned back the Giants at their own 12-yard line. However, quarterback Eli Manning led the Giants on a nine-play 88-yard drive for what turned out to be the winning touchdown.
Mesko also executed the first free kick in the Super Bowl in more than 20 years after a safety in the first quarter.
Mesko graduated from Twinsburg in 2005 and went on to punt at the University of Michigan, where he was a finalist for the Ray Guy Award 2009.
He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Patriots and has been their starting punter ever since. During the 2011 season, Mesko had 57 punts with a huge 46.5 yard per punt average.
