Penn State University kicker and folk hero Joey Julius, who has known for earth-shattering tackles as well as a battle with an eating disorder, has been removed from the Nittany Lions active roster.
Julius, the 5-foot-10, 258-pound kicker, announced back in October 2016 that he had missed Penn State’s offseason workouts so he could receive treatment for his binge-eating disorder. In May 2017, he did not take part in Penn State’s spring game.
As of right now, Julius said he has been improving during his time away from school, however, he did not put a timetable on his return.
“I have been struggling over the last couple months with my eating disorder,” Julius wrote in a Facebook post in May. “It got to the point where I had to return to St. Louis to seek further treatment at the McCallum [P]lace.”
via ESPN:
Last season, as a sophomore, Julius was Penn State’s kickoff specialist. Forty-five of his 93 kickoffs went for touchbacks. As a freshman, he converted 10 of 12 field goals and 20 of 24 extra points.
But it may have been on kickoff returns that Julius drew the most attention. Wearing No. 99, he’d power down the field after his kicks like a bowling ball. He’d find the unsuspecting returners and level them, looking more like a linebacker than a kicker.
Former Michigan safety Jabrill Peppers purposely stepped aside to avoid blocking him. A Kent State returner called Julius’ tackle one of the hardest hits of his career.
Penn State kicks off their season on Saturday, September 2 against Akron.
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