KALAMAZOO, MI - Place kicker is one of several spots breaking in a new starter for Western Michigan's 2017 football team, but the competition is lagging behind some of the other position battles early in camp.
That's because the team's holder, junior punter Derrick Mitchell, was a no-show for the first few days of practice.
But not without good reason.
Mitchell celebrated his wedding on Friday, Aug. 4, tying the knot in Maine with his fiancee, Heather.
That the ceremony conflicted with WMU's fall camp fell out of Mitchell's control.
The NCAA eliminated two-a-day practices in April, forcing coaches around the country to move up the start of fall practice in order to squeeze in all of their preseason sessions before Week 1.