Punter Nick Xides had an outstanding four-year career for the Penguins from 1982-85. During his career, he established school records for career and season average, total number of punts and total punting yards.
His records for career and season averages lasted until the end of the 2013 season when another Nick, Nick Liste, eclipsed his long-standing marks in both of those categories.
Xides played in 44 games, averaging 40.9 yards per punt on 257 punts that totaled 10,514 yards. He was a two-time first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection earning honors in 1984 and 1985. Ironically, he led the league in average in 1983 and was not a first-team selection, but he did finish second in average in 1985 and was a first-team pick. He led the OVC in 1984 and was second in 1982 as well. Additionally, he was an honorable-mention All-America honoree as a junior and senior.
As a freshman in 1982, he had 63 punts and averaged 40.2 yards per kick. He had eight punts on two occasions – against Middle Tennessee State and Western Illinois – and had long of 64 against Eastern Illinois. He had punts longer than 50 yards in six contests, including a 61-yard boot against Tennessee Tech in his third collegiate game.
As a sophomore in 1983, Xides averaged 40 yards per kick on 58 punts. He had a season-best eight punts against UNI and had a long boot of 60 yards against Murray State. He had 10 kicks downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. He also completed two passes for 35 yards.
Unfortunately for the Guins in 1984, Xides was a busy punter. Xides attempted 77 kicks, the second-most in a season in YSU history. He had a solid campaign setting a school record for average at 41.5 yards per kick and 3,193 yards. Against UNI and Murray State he had 12 punts, which made him the only kicker in school history to attempt 12 punts in a game twice. During a four-game stretch he had 40 punts. Against Murray State he had a season-long boot of 66 yards and had a 60-yard against Eastern Kentucky. Of his kicks, 18 were inside the 20-yard line.
As a senior in 1985, Xides broke his own school record averaging 41.8 yards per punt. He had 59 punts on the campaign, placing 28 inside the 20-yard line and 16 inside the opposition’s 10. He boomed a career-long punt of 73 yards against Northeastern. At the time that was the second-longest punt in school history. Xides kicked the ball from the YSU 27-yard line, and his kick rolled into the Huskies’ end zone for a touchback in the fourth quarter.
He had a season-best nine punts against Akron and had a punt of 50 yards or more in eight games, including each of the final five of the season. In the season opener, he had a then career-high-tying 66-yard kick against Eastern Michigan.
In his final three years, Xides attempted nine passes and completed five throws in his career for a total of 65 yards.
Xides earned his degree in Telecommunications from YSU and currently works as an Operations Manager for YRC Freight.
Before coming to YSU, he was a standout at Canton McKinley High School where they won the Class AAA state title in 1981. He handled both placekicking and punting duties for the Bulldogs. A third-team All-Ohio selection, his 44-yard field goal helped beat rival Massillon as the 1981 squad was ranked second in the country.
Nick and his wife, Marnie, have two daughters, Maria and Nicole. The family resides in Warren.
