Mark Bounds is a former

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

punter. He played at the collegiate level for

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship institution of the five- ...

, where he earned unanimous All-American honors in

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

Career

Bounds began his career at

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is the intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environment ...

West Texas State (now West Texas A&M University) where he earned All-American honors in 1990. He led Division II punters with a 46.3 yard average. Bounds transferred to

Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public university, public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship instit ...

in the following year following the cessation of West Texas State's football program. Following the

season, Bounds led

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...

in punting average with 48.6 yards per punt. For his performance, Bounds was selected as a unanimous All-American by the 5 organizations recognized for the purpose by the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

, one of only five Red Raiders to do so. His selection also marked him as one of only two players that had ever been named an AFCA All-American at two different schools. He was also noted for his

superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic (supernatural), magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly app ...

s, such as wearing orange shoes with green shoelaces when punting. Following his college career, Bounds briefly signed with the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

before being cut following an injury.

Legal issues

In 2005, Bounds was alleged to have participated in a so-called conspiracy to overcharge Texas Tech for

dietary supplement A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement a person's diet by taking a pill (pharmacy), pill, capsule (pharmacy), capsule, tablet (pharmacy), tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients eithe ...

s provided to Texas Tech athletes. Bounds owned Muscle Tech, a nutritional supplement store in

Lubbock, Texas Lubbock ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Lubbock County. With a population of 272,086 in 2024, Lubbock is the 10th-most populous city in Texas and the 84th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the ...

. Bounds allegedly conspired with Aaron Shelley, Texas Tech's former director of sports nutrition. Bounds agreed to accept five years of

probation Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offence (law), offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incar ...

and pay restitution, instead of presenting his unquestioned defense, to simply and efficiently move on from the unproven allegations

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bounds, Mark Texas Tech Red Raiders football players Living people Year of birth missing (living people) American football punters All-American college football players People convicted of fraud West Texas A&M Buffaloes football players