David Beverly (American football)

David Edward Beverly (born August 19, 1950 in Selma, Alabama) is a former American football punter who played seven seasons in the National Football League for the Houston Oilers and the Green Bay Packers. He played as quarterback and punter for Sweet Water High School. At the final game of his junior season, he sustained what was thought to be a career-ending knee injury and was unable to play in his senior season.

He enrolled at Auburn University, where his father and all five of his siblings had graduated and, encouraged by his passion for sports, decided to join the football team as a walk-on.

During a freshman practice session, head coach Shug Jordan spotted Beverly’s high spiraling punts and asked a ballboy to bring him over to see him. That began a great punting career for David. While at Auburn, he earned three letters and was named to the 1971 All-Southeastern Conference Team. His net punt yardage averages are still records at Auburn.

After earning his degree, he played for one year for the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans) in 1974, then went to the Green Bay Packers (1975–80), where he was the starting punter for his tenure there. Even though he was a Southern boy punting in the frozen conditions at Green Bay, he still holds the all-time Packer records for career punts (495) and single-season punts (106), with three games in which he punted 10 times, second on the Green Bay list. When he retired, he held the record for fewest career punts blocked (274).

David was selected to the Auburn “Team of the Seventies,” and was named the best SEC punter of the last 25 years by sports writer Alf Van Hoose. He was also honored in 1973 with a David Beverly Day in Sweet Water.

Beverly lives in Houston, Texas and works as an investment executive with Raymond James Financial. He and his wife, Jo Lynn, have two sons, David Beverly III and Bryan.