UIFL Ultimate Kickers 2012

The United Indoor Football League's second season kicks off this Thursday March 1st. Who will be doing the kicking? What have they been doing to prepare?

Cincinnati Commandos: Brandon Yingling (Cincinnati) or Dustin Zink (Thomas More)

"The biggest thing is the uno rule on kickoff. Instead of keeping the ball in play, i can just kick it through the uprights and get a point. Everything else has stayed the same for me." - Brandon

Eastern Kentucky Drillers: Scott Enos (Hawaii)

Erie Explosion: Garry "JR" Cipra (Ohio Northern)

"I have been doing this for so long since '02 seems like the same old stuff. I have increased my strength and my main focus as usual was the weight room and conditioning. I know it is weird for a kicker to say that, but strength is just as important as accuracy. I wish I lived a little closer to Erie for the commute is gonna be rough but it will be nice to be 'home'."

Florida Tarpons: Ross Gornall (Florida Atlantic)

"There's two aspects of my game I've been working on hard for this season. One is my accuracy with field goals. With the smaller uprights and how often field goals are kicked in arena games, field goals are a huge part of the game. The second is my onside kicks and pooch kicks for kickoffs and field goals. They are utilized a lot more in the arena. I'm working on new surprise kicks as well as perfecting the ones I already know."

Johnstown Generals: TBA

Lakeland Raiders: Jesus Cortez (Bethune Cookman)

Marion Blue Racers: Kevin Tattersall or Trey Cramer

Mississippi Hound Dogs: TBA

Rome Rampage: Jaye Tyroff

"I have been working on my mechanics preparing for the smaller uprights and kickoffs/onside kicks. I have been kicking on the regular NFL regulation uprights but for the past 6months or so been using the Arena 9ft wide uprights... Which I do normally train with. If you can kick it through the 9ft wide uprights the normal 18ft wide goals should be a piece of cake right! As far as my kickoffs go I have been adjusting my steps from my normal 10yds back to my arena steps of 6yds. I'm looking forward to having a great season and we will see what happens. Go Rampage!"

Western Pennsylvania Sting: TBA

Scouting Combine 2012: Kicker & Punter Comments

A collection of commentary from the specialists at the NFL Scouting Combine the past few days:

Carson Wiggs (Purdue)

"There's a room full of coaches and a different room full of doctors pulling on you, yanking on your joints and twisting you in different ways. Everybody that's been a part of the combine says it's a big cattle drive.... We had eight hours of testing. Basic pattern testing to colors, IQ test and that type of thing. They showed us a picture of three, four different animals and which animal would you be. Do I want to be a dog so I can be everybody's best friend or do I want to be a bird so I can fly? It was fun going through the experience."

Drew Butler (Georgia)

"My dad [Kevin Bulter] has been my best friend and my coach throughout my high school years. He’s definitely helped me out in college from a mental standpoint and a technical standpoint. He’s been a huge help. He’s already walked in these shoes and to be able kind of pick his brain and see how these things work and these coaches think, and how the business of the NFL goes, is very helpful. Obviously, I don’t know it all. Having that ability to know to relate to some of these people and to have that professional mindset will help."

Randy Bullock (Texas A&M)

"Coach [Mike] Sherman and I are very close. We’ve stayed in contact throughout the whole process, even after he left Texas A&M. He’s been a whole lot of help whether it’s advice for agents or the maybe the process that lies ahead. We text back and forth and stay in touch. I think very highly of coach Sherman and he’s definitely one of the reasons why I’m here right now."

Brad Nortman (Wisconsin)

"I was born and raised in Wisconsin, I don't know anything but the cold weather. The idea of warm weather all year just sounds unbelievable to me, so yeah I've done it. I've seen just about every situation weatherwise that I think I could, I could be wrong of course, but just in general, cold weather, wind, rain, none of it really concerns me, I'm so used to it by now.... There's nothing worse than a stiff wind in your face with the rain. Anything compared to that is paradise, really."

Dave Teggart (Connecticut)

"I feel like I didn't get my best shot because right when I was making an impact to kick off, the head coach [Randy Edsall] left and Chad [Christen] came in as a kickoff specialist. He's booming the ball In practice, he puts them [deep]. Chad's going to be a great kicker for UConn. But yeah, I just didn't feel as though I got a chance to kick off there, and I know I can. That's what I have to prove here."

Bryan Anger (California)

"The combine has been an awesome experience so far. It's an honor to be recognized as one of the top prospects in the country, and I look forward to raising my prospects when I punt Friday."

Blair Walsh (Georgia)

"I think you can show your combination of accuracy and distance. I think that’s important here. They want to see you be consistent. They want to see you do the same thing over and over again. Because when it comes down to it, there are always going to be guys who can kick 60-yard field goals, but not many guys can do it consistently. You have to be consistent in what you do and be methodical."

Brian Stahovich (San Diego State)

"This year I worked on more directional and getting our net (average) up. I think we averaged about a yard a return (allowed). I made it my goal because I wanted the NFL to see I’m not just a guy line-driving balls down field. I wanted to show I am putting coverable kicks up there — right, left, middle, wherever, doing Australian rules kicks. I am the total package."

Derek Dimke (Illinois)

"I’m just trying to learn as much as possible from everybody. There’s a lot of kickers that are a lot better than me, and if I can just pick up one or two things from all of them I feel like it can put me in a good position."

A Brief History of the Evolution of Specialization

When American football developed in the latter part of the 19th century, there was no separate kicker position. Kicking tasks were handled by players who also had full time roles on both offense and defense. Needless to say, the players spent little to no time studying, practicing, and perfecting kicking.

Injury played a key role in the stories of two of the first kicking specialists. Ben "The Toeless Wonder" Agajanian lost four toes from his kicking foot in work accident during college. Despite that, he went on to kick for numerous pro teams in the AAFC, NFL, and AFL during a creer that spanned over two decades. The Cleveland Browns’ Lou “The Toe” Groza was a Pro Bowl offensive lineman and kicker. A back injury in 1960 ended his ability to play on the line, but he continued to kick until 1967. The idea of having a player dedicated solely to kicking quickly caught on.

It was also not until recent decades, that professional football players, and especially kickers, made enough money to make a living playing football. Previously players had to work other jobs during the off-season and in many cases also during the football season. Now that the position of kicker actually exists and can afford to work on kicking year round, they are able to focus on studying, practicing, and perfecting kicking.

Specialization of others has also helped to improve kicking. While the kicker is the one who puts his foot on the ball in the end, the long snapper and holder are vital members of the placekicking process. While holding is still handled as a secondary task by someone with another job, long snapping became a specialized role back in the 1970’s. It was not until 2005 that long snapping was recognized for a Pro Bowl spot. In some instances, teams also divide placekicking and kickoffs into two separate jobs. Although roster limitations make this a rarity in the NFL, it occurs more often at the college level.

The creation of specialized roles also spread to the coaching ranks. In 1969, The Los Angeles Rams hired Dick Vermeil as their special teams coordinator – a position that had never previously existing in the NFL. More recently, some teams have also included a separate kicking coach or consultant. Steve Hoffman, currently the special teams coordinator for the Raiders, is one of the most notable examples. Kickers John Carney and Chris Boniol have recently dabbled in a consulting role.

As a result of all these developments, people can now spend their time devoted to primarily one thing – kicking.

Scouting Combine 2012: Specialists

The specialists arrive in Indianapolis tomorrow. The NFL draft eligible players are part of the first batch of participants in this year's Scouting Combine. The itinerary for the group, which also includes offensive lineman and tight ends, spans four days:

• Wednesday 22nd: Travel to Indianapolis, Registration, Hospital Pre-Exam & X-rays, Orientation, Interviews
• Thursday 23rd: Measurements, Medical Examinations, Media, Psychological Testing, Interviews
• Friday 24th: NFLPA Meeting, Psychological Testing, PK/ST Workout, Interviews
• Saturday 25th: Workout (timing, stations, skill drills), Departure from Indianapolis

Kickers:

Randy Bullock (Texas A&M)

"The NFL is a cut throat league. Not everyone is given the opportunity so to have it is amazing. I will cherish the opportunity and not take it for granted. It makes me want to work even harder to stay in the league. It is every college players goal to get to the NFL but only so many get the chance. Now that I am this close I would be crazy to not put all of my time and effort into it to make it work."

Derek Dimke (Illinois)

Dimke leaves Illinois as the program's all-time leader in field goal and extra point accuracy. Dimke hit 39-of-46 field goals (.848) and was perfect 89-89 on PATs at Illinois. He was a two-time All-Big Ten selection and finished his career ranked sixth on the UI all-time points list.

Dave Teggart (Connecticut)

"It's obviously a great honor," Teggart said. "The way I see it is you go to school for something and you want to get a job in your field. I'm searching for a job and this is basically like a week-long interview."... Teggart, who graduated from UConn in December with a degree in sports management, has, for the last couple months, been back and forth between home and school to train with UConn's strength and conditioning coaches. He also spent time working with other specialists in Arizona and with former Tampa Bay Bucs kicker Michael Husted at his kicking camp in California. "I've invested some time and money in trying to be the best I can be,” said the former Algonquin Regional standout, “and hopefully it will all work out well."

Blair Walsh (Georgia)

412: Points scored by Georgia PK Blair Walsh, the most in SEC history. Walsh broke the mark of 409 set by Georgia PK Billy Bennett from 2000 through 2003 with a 47-yard field goal in the second overtime of the Outback Bowl. He missed his first shot at breaking the record -- a 42-yarder that would have won the game in the first overtime.

Carson Wiggs (Purdue)

"It would be cool to say I got drafted, but sixth and seventh round isn’t that big of a deal," Wiggs said. "If I’m an undrafted free agent, I can pick where I go depending on who I think would give me the best opportunity. You never really know. It depends on if teams who need a kicker look toward (me)." For now, Wiggs is taking 12 credit hours toward his business construction management technology degree and working out Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with former teammates Chris Carlino and Kurt Lichtenberg. He’s able to work on more kicker-specific workouts, focusing on leg speed, flexibility and cardio. "I’m not like (Ryan) Kerrigan was last year, guaranteed to go first round and make money," Wiggs said. "I need to keep working toward my degree. I’m just trying to get better and better every day."

Punters:

Bryan Anger (California)

Anger shined for the winning West squad in the 87th East-West Shrine Game® at Tropicana Field. Anger averaged 60.0 yards per punt in three attempts for the 24-17 winners. Anger's first punt midway through the first quarter sailed 59 yards and he added another four yards of net punting when returner Charles Brown lost four yards bringing it back. Anger would later have punts of 60 and 61 yards in the third and fourth quarter, respectively. "I came in this week hoping to display my abilities, primarily hangtime, and get my name out there as the top punter in the nation," Anger said. "I am looking forward to kicking at the NFL Scouting Combine in February and then whatever else is to come afterwards."

Drew Butler (Georgia)

"My dad laid out such a good framework for me to build upon," Butler said. "Having the opportunities that I had at Georgia and being able to capitalize on them was a huge blessing."... Butler hopes to show teams that he’s worthy of being drafted. "I think my career, in and of itself, has proven that I’m worth spending a draft pick on," Butler said. "I’ve been a consistent performer for three years. I’ve proven that I’m able to do whatever a coach has asked me to do: directional kick, kick it high, pin somebody inside the 20 and kick it long to get us out of a jam. That’s one of my strengths as a punter."

Kyle Martens (Rice)

Concluded his career Rice's single-season and career punting record holder...
First team All C-USA by league coaches for the second consecutive year... Also a first-team pick by Phil Steele and College Football News, and a second-team selection by Rivals.com... First-team postseason All Texas College pick by Dave Campbell's Texas Football... Third consecutive year as a Ray Guy Award candidate
has three of the top six season marks... 3403 yards punting rank second, just missing the school mark of 3,452 set by Dan Walters in 1983.

Brad Nortman (Wisconsin)

Some observations from North team practice at the 2012 Senior Bowl: Brad Nortman also has been turning some heads. After Monday's practice, SI.com's Tony Pauline said, "Brad Nortman was kicking moon shots all afternoon. His punts were consistently flying 55-to-60 yards with great hang time." SB Nation also chimed in following Tuesday's practice, "Wisconsin punter Brad Nortman boomed his kicks and routinely got quite a bit of hang time, garnering him some attention from a few scouts after practice."

Shawn Powell (Florida State)

It was during a lively, yet competitive session of the "NCAA Football 2012" video game when Florida State punter Shawn Powell had some of his college football peers rubbing their eyes and double-taking in disbelief. "You're a punter?" eventual Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III kept saying, looking back at the 6-foor-4, 230-pound Powell standing behind him.... While most of Powell's peers are thrown off by his size and his fans were thrown off by the [Ray Guy] award slight, opposing teams and their fans have been shocked by the actual punts they have witnessed. "They start laughing when you start doing the (rugby) kick," Powell said of punting in front of opposing crowds. "And then, like at Boston College, it rolls out at the 5 and they're sad like, 'Aww.'"

Brian Stahovich (San Diego State)

Stahovich plans to seek advice and instruction from former NFL kicker John Carney prior to attending the NFL Combine or trying out for teams. Projections have him being a seventh-round draft pick or first-day free agent signing. "I think I can improve more in consistency and as far as directional punting, going right and going left," Stahovich said. "My pooch punting is one of the strongest things I have. I learned the Aussie rules backspin kick from (former Chargers punter) Darren Bennett himself."

Long Snapper:

Josh Harris (Auburn)

Harris probably will not hear his name called during the draft. Only four of the NFL’s regular long-snappers in 2011 were drafted. Most of those guys were drafted as position players. But several NFL teams already have interviewed Harris at Senior Bowl practices. If he isn’t drafted, Henderson expects Harris to sign a contract an hour after the draft ends. The reality started to settle in when he packed for the Senior Bowl last week. Harris has a shot at a dream most college football players never realize. "To be honest, coming into this season, I thought I might get a chance to snap for scouts at Auburn’s Pro Day," Harris said. "To have all this happen, I’m really excited for the next couple of months."

IFL Intense Kickers 2012

Having previously looked at the kickers of the United Conference, we conclude our Indoor Football League preview with the Intense Conference. Once again some of the IFL kickers discussed what they've been working on for the upcoming season.

Allen Wranglers: David Pino

"I have really worked in accuracy by limiting my target to either the right or left upright pole. If I hit the upright, I am down the middle. If I miss 2-3 feet right or left of the upright, I know I'm still good. It has been a great way to narrow my accuracy by a few feet, which in turn will help once I'm aiming down the middle of the very wide 9 feet!!!"

Colorado Ice: Aric Goodman

"I've put an emphasis on increasing flexibility and ball flight. In many of the arenas that we'll play in, there are scoreboards that I'll need to be cognizant of. Having the ability to change the trajectory of kicks will be important at times. Another point of high importance is consistency...obviously. The IFL balls are slightly smaller than college/NFL, so it makes being consistent even that much more difficult."

Everett Raptors: Dan Kleckner

"Besides my normal off season strength training and kicking I worked with Gordon Kaplan of Team Yoga in Bellevue WA. We worked on improving my flexibility as well as working on the mental aspect of kicking and really working on my focus! I feel the work we did helped me a lot and I am looking forward to putting it to use this season."

Nebraska Danger: Craig Wissler

New Mexico Stars: Zeke Arevalo

Tri-Cities Fever: Michael Taylor

Wichita Wild: Dylan Pohlman

Wyoming Cavalry: Scott Thomsen

Kicking Under The Northern Lights

“Northern Lights” etching & aquatint by Germaine Arnaktauyok

Several excerpts regarding kicking in the northern reaches of the Americas...

From The Global Game:

As they did in parts of Africa and Latin America, British miners established football in British Columbia three decades after the province joined the Confederation of Canada in 1871. The sport helped unite mining communities such as Nanaimo, Cumberland and Ladysmith on Vancouver Island. But ball games had indigenous roots in the northern tier, as they did in Mesoamerica. Mark Nuttall, a University of Alberta anthropologist, has detailed European explorers’ and researchers’ intersections with football-playing Inuit. “In The Central Eskimo,” Nuttall writes, “Franz Boas described ball games (and recorded songs about ball games, including football) played by the Inuit of southern Baffin Island in the Eastern Canadian Arctic in the 1880s.” The ball, according to Boas, consisted of moss-stuffed sealskin. Boas goes on to describe a juggling game, seemingly a variant of the Inuit game of akraurak or aqijut, played on Ulukhaktok, also known as Holman Island, in the Northwest Territories.

From the Games Museum:

Many ball games, for partners or as multi-player circle games, are played by the Inuit. On Holman Island as elsewhere, the Inuit have long played a type of football known as Akraurak or Aqijut which is mentioned in some of their myths. (F.H. Eger, Eskimo Inuit Games, Vancouver: X-Press, 3 edition, page 58). The football is made of hide, stuffed with hair, moss, feathers, wood shavings, or whalebones. Two lines of players face each other, some distance apart. The ball is kicked between the lines until it passes through one line of players. Then all players rush to kick the ball into their opponent's goal.

From Pitch Invasion:

According to Kendall Blanchard in The Anthropology of Sport: An Introduction (Bergin Garvey/Greenwood, 1995), akraurak is contested between goals that are “markings in the snow at unspecified distances from each other. Teams kick the ball up and down the field, the object being to drive it across the goal line of an opponent. The game is played predominantly in the spring and summer months, and everyone, regardless of sex or age, may participate”. As Nuttall also writes, Inuit from Greenland and across the Arctic see in aurora borealis, the northern lights, the souls of ancestors. They call these heavenly apparitions arsarnerit, or “the football players.” Among First Nations, who are distinct from Inuit and another Canadian indigeneous group, the Métis, it is harder to identify a precursor to modern football. Traditions of leisure and games, however, form part of the cyclical life pattern characteristic of aboriginal culture. Recurring competitions such as the Arctic Games and North American Indigenous Games feature traditional sports as well as soccer. Started in 1990, the latter includes more than 9,000 participants in sport and cultural events.

Kicking the Wonderlic

Which THREE of the following words have similar meanings?

A) observable

B) manifest

C) hypothetical

D) indefinite

E) theoretical

The preceding question comes from the sample test for the Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test (formerly known as the Wonderlic Personnel Test). For those interested in taking a fifty-question sample test, you can do so here.

The Wonderlic annually gets lots of free media publicity around the time of the NFL Scouting Combine, where the test has been administered to NFL draft hopefuls since the 1970s. There is the usual ongoing debate regarding the value (or lack thereof) in using the test to assess pro football potential. Every few years it receives extra attention when the inevitably leaked scores reveal that one of the top stars scored especially low. And there is always the requisite mention of punter Pat McInally (Harvard) - the only player to ever score a perfect 50 on the 50 question, 12 minute test.

We conclude this post with a one-question, no-time-limit quiz. Which statement below did Pat McInally make regarding the Wonderlic test?

A) "So, for me, this Wonderlic thing has got to be the coolest of the cool. I waited six minutes... just to be cool about it, then sprinted through it. I'm sure if I had thought about it, I would have missed lots of them.... So that's my tip: Go as fast as you can and do it instinctively."

B) "It really did seem like an easy test at the time. One of the reasons I did so well is because I didn't think it mattered. So I think I didn't feel any pressure at all. It was more of a lark, and that's when you do your best. If I took it 100 times I'd probably never do that again. I didn't find out till years later that it hurt me in the draft."

C) "I always felt I was drafted in the fifth round instead of the first or second because I did too well on the tests. I wasn't your typical player and I did question a lot of things. It seemed kind of silly to me that we weren't allowed to drink [water] during practice, for instance."

D) "I've gotten to know Charlie Wonderlic after all of these years, and it is fun to work with him. One goal the company has is to keep kids eligible in high school and college. We're trying to get the Wonderlic to be part of the testing of athletes in high school for colleges. Wonderlic has a number of tests, one of which relates to how kids will do on the SAT, one about personality, etc. We test for a lot of things college coaches would want to know. It will be interesting to see how it evolves."

E) All of the above.

IFL United Kickers 2012

The Edge visit the Slaughter this Sunday, as the Indoor Football League's 2012 schedule commences. Both teams are in the United Conference, whose kickers are outlined below.

We spoke to several of them regarding what they've been working on in preparation for the upcoming season.

Bloomington Edge: Peter Christofilakos

"I have been trying to speed up my get off time to be a little quicker. This year I have my holder Dusty Burke from the past that is very good and I feel very confident in, along with a great snapper Jeff Sobel. In the IFL league and with our team I came to learn that in a season holders and snappers will rotate very often due to different situations. With all of the different personnel it is hard to get a rhythm and timing can be tough. This year I feel very good about our snap hold kick and expect us to have success."

Cedar Rapids Titans: Mike Polaski

"I've been working on multiple Onside Kicks as well as a few other specialty kicks to deal with the low ceiling in our home arena as well as adjusting to a different kind of football. Its composite leather and significantly smaller than an NFL-K or AFL ball."

Chicago Slaughter: Chris Nendick

"I have been working a lot in the medical field. Kicking wise, twice a week I go out and kick with a few guys working mostly on shortening my approach to ultimately have a more consistent finish. A big thing I worked on was getting more elevation on the ball flight."

Green Bay Blizzard: Adrian Trevino

"I've been working a lot on balance, technique, and being a great teammate."

Lehigh Valley Steelhawks: Chris Hazley

Omaha Beef: Paul Stoltz

Reading Express: Erik Rockhold or Eric Perri

Sioux Falls Storm: Parker Douglass

Bicycle Kicks

When and where did the bicycle kick originate?

"There are different claims of invention in different parts of the world for this popular move. Generally, players noted as being the inventors of the kick tend to be those that have made the move during national or international tournaments in an official association football match. Nonetheless, the invention of the kick is controversial as different countries have different proposals on how and where the move was invented. For instance, in Peru, the move is attributed to the players of Callao, and it is often told that they invented the move when playing with English sailors in the late 19th century. In Chile, Basque Ramón Unzaga is credited with being the first player to create the bicycle kick in 1914 and exhibit it in an official football match. In Italy, the invention is usually credited to Carlo Parola, who allegedly invented the move on 15 January 1950. Further contributing to the controversy, some players that have performed the move attribute the invention to someone else or themselves. Per sé, Leônidas, a famous player from Brazil, attributed the invention of this move to another Brazilian player, Petronilho de Brito. If that were not enough, sometimes the attributions of invention get jumbled, and people begin to attribute the invention of the kick to famous players who performed, but did not claim invention of, the kick such as Hugo Sánchez from Mexico and David Arellano from Chile."

Some of the Greatest and Best

A compilation of some of the best bicycle kicks around.
1) Marco Van Basten - Ajax
2) Mauro Bressan - Fiorentina
3) Trevor Sinclair - Queens Park Rangers
4) Wayne Rooney - Manchester United
5) Zlatan Ibrahimovic - AC Milan
6) Eliran Atar - Bnei Yehuda
7) Gary Cahill - Aston Villa
8) Rivaldo - FC Barcelona
9) Dimitar Berbatov - Manchester United
10) Deco - Chelsea FC
11) Ronaldinho - FC Barcelona
12) Peter Crouch - Liverpool FC
13) Eidur Gudjohnsen - Chelsea FC

MLS: History of Bicycle Kicks

Featuring Brian Ching, Marcelo Balboa, Taylor Twellman, Dewayne DeRosario, and Carlos Ruiz.

Pelé - Escape to Victory

Escape to Victory, known simply as Victory in North America, is a 1981 film about Allied prisoners of war who are interned in a German prison camp during World War II. The film was directed by John Huston and stars Michael Caine, Sylvester Stallone and Max von Sydow. The film received great attention upon its theatrical release, as it also starred football superstars Bobby Moore, Osvaldo Ardiles, Kazimierz Deyna, Paul Van Himst and Pelé. Numerous Ipswich Town F.C. players were also in the film, including John Wark, Russell Osman, Laurie Sivell, Robin Turner and Kevin O'Callaghan. Further Ipswich Town players stood in for actors in the football scenes - Kevin Beattie for Michael Caine, and Paul Cooper for Sylvester Stallone.

Kicking Stats & Technology

We live in a  world of technology. We live in a world of statistics. We live in a world of techno-stats. With that in mind, we take a look at two recent developments along those lines, with a kicking-punting focus, from two periodic contributors.

Kicker Tracker App
 

"My name is Brent Grablachoff and I’m a professional football kicking coach. I originally designed the Kick Tracker App for my students to help them track, analyze and learn from their kicking stats to help improve their field goal kicking, kickoffs and punting skills. After a beta test we found the Kick Tracker App to be not only fun to use, but also extremely effective at helping to improve their overall kicking game. We then decided to release this wonderful app to everyone through the Android Market and iPhone App Store. Kick Tracker is the first of its kind and the best football kicking app for the iPhone and Android!"

KIX Rating System

"The National Camp Series' KIX (Kicking IndeX) Player Ratings are objectively based upon the data that we have collected for several years. Having been able to capture the statistics from our results for specialists in the kicking game, we rate our athletes in each of the following: Field Goals, Kick Offs, Punts, and/or Long Snaps. We have collected this data and separated them based on grade level. At the same time, the final NCS KIX Player Ratings are compared to our College division (rising high school seniors, junior college and college transfers.) The reason that we do this is so that student-athletes have a goal to reach to demonstrate to colleges that they have the ability to kick at the next level....

Why are we using an objective approach? As a society, we now have the ability to efficiently gather statistics, analyze them and make informed decisions. Everything in the kicking game is based around numbers:

• NCS Field Goal Points/Field Goal Percentage
• Hang time on Punts and Kick Offs
• Distance on Punts and Kick Offs
• Hand 2 foot, get off time for Punts
• Punt snap time
• Ideal distance for perfect laces on Field Goals

You can effectively determine a prospect's ability by consistently gathering statistics over time. Therefore, we believe that the more stats that can be recorded, the better the ability for colleges to accurately assess your ability. This puts you into full control and takes out all subjectivity. Potential is important, but the NCS, as a network of NFL and D1 College players, understands that potential only gets you so far. Collectively, we have seen so many guys with strong legs kick well when no one is around, only to fall apart when there is a little pressure applied. Numbers don't lie! Therefore, our NCS KIX Player Ratings is based upon your results from our evaluations. Our evaluations are created from NFL workouts...."

The Feets with the Mostest

Who has used their feet to score more points than anyone else in their respective sports?

Pelé - Soccer/Football/Futbol

"Pelé's goalscoring record is often reported as being 1280 goals in 1363 games. This figure includes goals scored by Pelé in non-competitive club matches, for example, international tours Pelé completed with Santos and the New York Cosmos, and games Pelé played in for armed forces teams during his national service in Brazil.... While his birth certificate shows his first name as Edison, it is as Pelé that he has become a sporting legend. He is widely regarded by polls among football experts, former players and fans as the greatest footballer of all time. In his native Brazil, Pelé is hailed as a national hero. He is known for his accomplishments and contributions to the game of football in addition to being officially declared football ambassador of the world by FIFA."

Jeff Cunningham - MLS (Major League Soccer)

"Cunningham is a Jamaican-born American soccer player who currently plays for Comunicaciones in Guatemala's top division. Upon graduating from USF, Cunningham was selected ninth overall in the 1998 MLS College Draft by the Columbus Crew. After the 2010 MLS season FC Dallas declined Cunningham's contract option and Cunningham elected to participate in the 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft. Cunningham was selected by Columbus Crew in Stage 2 of the Re-Entry draft. On July 7, 2011, Cunningham scored his 133rd career MLS Goal to tie the MLS All-Time Scoring Record. On August 27, 2011, Cunningham scored his 134th career goal, making him the all time leader in MLS soccer in a 6-2 loss to the Seattle Sounders."

Morten Andersen - NFL (National Football League)

"Morten Andersen (born in Copenhagen, Denmark) is a former American football kicker. He holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history, as well as being the all-time leading scorer for two different teams; the New Orleans Saints, with whom he spent 13 seasons, and the Atlanta Falcons, with whom he spent a combined eight seasons. He is known as "The Great Dane".... On December 16, 2006, Andersen passed Gary Anderson to become the all-time leading scorer in NFL history.... At the end of his career Andersen held (and still holds) the following NFL records: most games played (382), most field goals attempted (709), most field goals (565), most points (2,544)"

Jeff Schebler - NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association)

Schebler recently completed his college football career at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. On November 21, 2009 he scored 10 points in a Division III playoff win over Lakeland to become the NCAA’s all-time point leader among place-kickers, passing the previous mark of 433 set by Art Carmody of Louisville. Schebler finished his career with 470 points.

Lui Passaglia - CFL (Canadian Football League)

"Passaglia is a former professional Canadian football player. Passaglia was the placekicker/punter for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League for a record-breaking 25 years (1976–2000) and scored more points in that time than any professional gridiron football player in history. He is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame, and the BC Lions Wall of Fame.... Passaglia holds many CFL regular season records including total points scored (3,991), most converts at 1,045 (560 consecutive—he missed only three), most field goals at 875 (of 1,203 attempted), best single season field goal percentage at 90.9% (40 of 44 in 2000, his final year of play), and most single points at 309."

Remy Hamilton - AFL (Arena Football League)

"As one of the most prolific kickers in Arena Football League (AFL) history, Remy Hamilton is the All-Time point leader in the AFL. Remy also played in the National Football League (NFL) with the Detroit Lions, St. Louis Rams, Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahwaks. Remy attended the University of Michigan, where he was a 1st team All-Big Ten selection and a two time Lou Groza Award finalist."

Tony Lockett - AFL (Australian Football League)

"Lockett is a former Australian rules football player. Lockett is the highest goal scorer in the history of the VFL/AFL with 1,360 goals in a career of 281 games, that commenced in 1983 with the St Kilda Football Club, and finished in 2002 with the Sydney Swans. Lockett is the only full-forward ever to win the coveted Brownlow Medal, in 1987, a season in which he was decorated with several honours. He is a four-time Coleman Medallist, kicked more than 100 goals in a season on six occasions, and is a member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame."

Jonny Wilkinson - Rugby/Football

"Wilkinson is an English rugby union player and member of the England national team. Wilkinson rose to acclaim from 2001 to 2003, before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was acknowledged as one of the world’s best rugby players. He was an integral member of the 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning England squad, scoring the winning drop goal in the last minute of extra time against Australia. He plays his club rugby for Toulon following twelve seasons in the Guinness Premiership for Newcastle Falcons. Wilkinson has also toured twice with the British and Irish Lions, in 2001 and 2005."

The Recruiting Process per the Recruitees, part 7

Patience. Business. Those are just two of themes that emerged in our conversations about recruiting with kickers and punters from the class of 2012.

We specifically asked them the following two questions:

1. What would you say was the most beneficial advice you received before going through the recruiting process?
2. Is there one thing you learned during the recruiting process that you wish you had known beforehand?

Following is the third and final set of answers. For the others answers check here and here.

George Bullock, Tennessee

1. Stay in touch. Make sure that coaches know you are interested and don't be afraid of calling them. The better they know you the better chance you have of landing a spot on their team.
2. Go to a lot of camps - both national ranking camps and specific camps for schools. They will take interest in a kicker if that kicker is ranked highly. After that initial interest from schools it is important to go to camps because most places won’t offer someone that has not competed at their own camp.

Sam Retzky, Tulsa

1. Be patient. Send out your highlight tape out to schools after your senior year. Most offers will come after your senior season.
2. Keep an open mind. You do not get a feeling about the school until you meet with the players and coaches in person.

Marshall Morgan, Georgia

1. Don’t put away a school right off the bat. Always make your visits! For instance, with Georgia I never thought I’d end up there. Then once I visited it blew the other schools away!

Ryan Domangue

1. Work hard and never quit at anything you do. Be patient and it'll all fall in place. Also another thing is to make sure I do well in school. Grades and God come first in my life.
2. Going to showcases for kicking is very helpful. Kohl’s kicking has helped me tremendously in the recruiting process. Not only do they find you a home, they keep in touch and care about your future.

Anthony Melchiori, Kent State

1. Never turn any team away. Listen to everything coaches have to say, and keep all your options open with any school because you never know what could happen.
2. The recruiting process is a business. What they tell you isn't always accurate or straight forward.

Bobby Puyol, Connecticut

1. "Go where you're celebrated, not tolerated."
2. The coaches want to talk to the players not the parents. Early in the process my dad talked to some schools for me but then after two schools I was interested in offered someone instead of me, I decided it was time to talk to the coaches myself, not have them talk to my parents. After that my recruiting process started to get better and better and after a big camp I had at Chris Sailer's "Top 12" Camp. I was offered a Full Scholarship to the University of Connecticut and three weeks of talking to the Special Teams Coach & Head Coach at UConn really paid off.

Austin Hardin, Florida

1. If you had a career ending injury your first year would you still love the college? Without the coaches and football is it a place you love and want a degree from?
2. Recruiting isn't always happy go lucky. It's a business and it gets rough. Coaches will tell you one thing and do another.

Cole Leininger, California

1. Always keep your eyes open and try to get and know every program that you have the opportunity to get to know.
2. There is going to be tough times in the process but always keep looking.

The 2012 "Off"-Season

With the Super Bowl just around the corner, it may seem like another football season will soon be over, but there will still be plenty of football and consequently kicking in the so-called off-season. Note: events, names and dates will continue to be updated on the following lists as further information becomes available.

NCAA College football

Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game: January 16th

- East squad: kicker Drew Zamora (Northern Arizona), punter William Kelton (Texas State) and long snapper James Winchester (Oklahoma)

-West squad: kicker Kevin Goessling (Fresno State), punter Anson Kelton (TCU) and long snapper Cameron Kastl (Arizona State)
East-West Shrine Game: January 21st

- East squad: kicker Blair Walsh (Georgia) and punter Shawn Powell (Florida State)

- West squad: kicker Greg Zuerlein (Missouri Western) and punters Matt Prewitt (Kentucky Christian) and Bryan Anger (California)
The Battle of Florida: January 21st
- North squad: kicker Nick Cattoi (Central Florida), punter David Bohner (Central Florida) and long snapper Charley Hughlett (Central Florida)
- South squad: kicker Alan Gendreau (Middle Tennessee), punter Mickey Groody (Florida Atlantic) and long snapper Chris Ivory (Miami)

Astroturf NFLPA Collegiate Bowl: January 21st

- Kickers Trevor Scott (Florida A&M) and Erik Folk (Washington)

- Punters Marquette King (Fort Valley State) and Ken Wood (Texas A&M)
- Long snappers Jon Rohrbaugh (Penn State) and Matt Camilli (Texas El Paso)

Under Armour Senior Bowl: January 28th

- Kickers Randy Bullock (Texas A&M) and Carson Wiggs (Purdue)

- Punters Drew Butler (Georgia) and Brad Nortman (Wisconsin)
- Long snappers Josh Harris (Auburn) and Kyle Wojta (Wisconsin)
Players All-Star Classic: February 4th

- North squad: kicrer David Teggart (Connecticut) and punter Kyle Martens (Rice)

- South squad: kicker Long Ding (Norwich University), punter Ryan Tydlacka (Kentucky) and long snapper Sean McGrath (Henderson State)

National Signing Day: February 1st
Pro Days Workouts: primarily in March
- Beginning March 1st with Missouri
- Thru April 18th with Lane College

National Football League (NFL)

NFL Scouting Combine: February 22nd - 28th

- kickers: Randy Bullock (Texas A&M), Derek Dimke (Illinois), Dave Teggart (Connecticut), Blair Walsh (Georgia), Carson Wiggs (Purdue)

- punters: Bryan Anger (California), Drew Butler (Georgia), Kyle Martens (Rice), Brad Nortman (Wisconsin), Shawn Powell (Florida State), Brian Stahovich (San Diego State)
- snappers: Josh Harris (Auburn)

Free agent signing period begins March 13th
- UFA kickers: John Kasay, Phil Dawson, Jay Feely, Neil Rackers, Mike Nugent, Josh Scobee, Dave Rayner, Matt Prater, Nick Folk, Connor Barth
- UFA punters: Matt Turk, Ben Graham, Brad Maynard, Nick Harris, Dave Zastudil, Mat McBriar, Donnie Jones, Steve Weatherford, Daniel Zepulveda
- UFA snappers: David Binn, Joe Zelenka, Mike Leach, Ken Amato, Chris Massey, Don Muhlbach, Matt Katula

Aguiar/Husted Pro Camp/Combine: March 31st - April 5th

NFL Draft: April 26th - 28th

Minicamps and OTAs: primarily May & June

Canadian Football League (CFL)

CFL Evaluation Camp, March 2nd - 4th

- top kicking prospect:Austin Anderson (McGill)

CFL Draft: May 3rd

 

Indoor Football Leagues

Indoor Football League (IFL): season kicks off on February 19th

Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL): season kicks off on February 25th 
Arena Football League (AFL): season kicks off on March 9th

Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL): season kicks off on March 10th
Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL): season kicks off on March 10th
American Indoor Football (AIF): season kicks off on March 17th

Lone Star Football League (LSFL): season kicks off on March 31st

American Football - global 

European Federation of American Football: 2012 schedule to be announced.

International Bowl: February 1st 

- Team USA: Colby Cooke and Paul Griggs

- World Team: Dillon Wamsley

The Recruiting Process per the Recruitees, part 6

Our look at the recruiting process continues. We asked kickers and punters from the Class of 2012 the following two questions:

1. What would you say was the most beneficial advice you received before going through the recruiting process?
2. Is there one thing you learned during the recruiting process that you wish you had known beforehand?

Following is the second of three batches of answers:

Kenny Allen, Michigan

1. Don't listen to everyone else around you, because you and your family know what's best for you.
2. Try harder in school. I did alright with a 3.0, but athletes usually don't focus on academics and I wish I had more because that will help others.

Collin Barber, Georgia

1. Know your GPA, your SAT/ACT, and all your school information, know schools pros and cons.
2. Know about applying and all that and how it's different for an athlete.

Nick Jordan, Texas

1. My kicking coach told me to remember to look out for myself. The college coaches don't care about me, just about me playing for them, so I need to remember to make decisions for my own good.
2. I wish I had fully known when the coaches can contact me and all of the NCAA rules that go along with that.

Roberto Aguayo, Florida State

1. Go where your most comfortable and where your heart takes you, be sure your gonna wanna be there the next four years of your life academically and sports wise.
2. What a grey shirt meant and how it worked.

Brad Dunavant, Toledo

1. Think about Pros and cons of the campus like what it does for you, what it does for your family, do you get along with the football guys while you’re there, does it make you feel like "home"?

Devon Bell, Mississippi State

1. Don't go where people think you should go. Go where you feel is best for you.

Garrett Owens, Oregon State

1. Actually going to look at the school before making the decision and getting to know the coaches well. Making sure it’s the right fit for you and the decision you make is yours and not others.
2. Be more patient with the recruiting process.

Ryan Frain, Illinois

1. Do everything in my power to get my name in front of coaches. I was told it is a myth that a coach will one day just show up at one of my games, stop me and ask me if I had any plans on college, visits are taken, and I get a scholarship to my dream college! That doesn't happen. I have never heard of someone receiving a scholarship just like that - no matter how good they are. I built every connection I could possibly find, I spent hours on the computer last winter and spring emailing coaches (I would find their emails on the schools website). I would update them when I had a big performance at a competition, send them all highlight tapes and statistics as I came across them or made the films. I built such good relationships with so many coaches that I can humbly say I was heavily recruited, and didn't spend thousands of dollars going to camps or showcases all over the country. Then by the time summer came around, I was peaking, better than I had ever been. I went to the schools that I had been in contact with and blew some coaches away, started my senior season on a great note. Sent my first three game films to coaches, and Illinois came through with a scholarship. Mainly because of a smaller connection I had with a coach named Tim Williams, you just never know what's going to fall through. That is why that was the best advice I had ever received.
2. Enjoy every second of it. It truly is an exciting process that not a lot of athletes experience. Yes, I was busting my ass to get the looks I got. But looking back, it was awesome to hear back from a school like Texas or get calls from some of my favorite colleges. I wish I had realized how great it was at the time, other than that I had all the knowledge I know now. But I took it so much as a marketing and business (which it is) experience that I didn't realize how much fun it actually is.

Super Bowl XLVI Kicking Postscript

New England faced a long field more than once in Super Bowl XLVI. 
New York punter Steve Weatherford placed three of his four punts inside the ten yard line during the Giants 21-17 win over the Patriots.

"Inside-the-20 punts are something I pride myself on. I try to create as much field position as I can, especially with the incredible defense and defensive line we have. If you can put it inside the five, it makes it very difficult for the other team to drive on us....
Sometimes it bounces forward, sometimes it goes backwards. Fortunately for my first punt in a Super Bowl, it went backwards."

Weatherford had fun doing it.

"In my game, it's all confidence. The more fun I have, the more confidence I have. It's just a game. Granted, there's only a billion people watching, but it's a game. I went out there and had fun and was able to execute."

Toward the end of the game it looked like Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes would be trying a game winning field goal attempt. At least that was the plan. Trailing 15-17 with just over a minute to play, New York had first and goal to go from the seven. They planned to run the clock down and let Tynes kick the winner on the final play. However, on second down New England intentionally gave up a touchdown so they could get one more chance on offense.

"I'm just sticking to my routine and you know what, it was at the end of the game, I was approaching it just like I was the two kicks in the third quarter....
I thought Ahmad [Bradshaw] was gonna take the knee. That would have been pretty sweet if he kneed it. It was like he wanted to [knee it] and then he just fell forward....
I'll be honest with you, that was the right play because you give Tom Brady the ball ... all they need was a field goal if we kicked a field goal, so I think you score right there a touchdown."

While the Super Bowl win was a first for Weatherford, it was a second one for both Tynes and their fellow specialist, long snapper Zak DeOssie.

"It's pretty crazy. When that ball hit the ground it was beyond words. Two-time Super Bowl champ. I don't think it's quite sunk in yet....

Four years later, you have an idea what it takes to get here and how rare it is. My rookie year was unbelievable, but if you can believe it this was even better. My rookie year my head was spinning and you're thinking, 'Is this normal?' Now I really understand what (then-punter) Jeff Feagles was telling me. All the veterans were saying, 'Don't get used to this.' This is so rare, and such a great opportunity to even be here to play in this game. And to win it, now that I am older, I really understand what it means."

SB XLVI MVP Sneak Preview

Who will be the MVP of this year's Super Bowl: Steve Weatherford, Lawrence Tynes, Zoltan Mesko or Stephen Gostkowski? We asked kickers, punters, snappers, and coaches that very question.

James Wilhoit, James Wilhoit Kicking Coach

"I believe it will be Stephen Gostkowski. I played against Stephen when he was at Memphis. He is an excellent kicker and I believe he will come through in the clutch. Coming back from knee surgery last year was very impressive. He did a great job in replacing Adam Vinatieri. Also I believe the patriots will win the game and have plenty of scoring opportunities."

Tom Feely, Feely Kicking School

"I broke my crystal ball and it is not yet working, but my guess is that it will not be a punter although both are indeed great punters! Punters never get the recognition they deserve, and MVP is certainly not in the cards for either of them. That leaves Tynes and Gostkowski. Though both had very good seasons, however, the guy that should get the most props is Gostkowski. His role as replacing the legendary Adam Vinatieri was the most difficult of all. He had to perform in Vinatieri's shadow, and he has done so masterfully! No telling what is going to happen on Super Bowl Sunday, but if past performance is the gauge of MVP my vote is for the Gos."

Chris Husby, Special Teams Football Academy

"Stephen Gostkowski will win it with a Field Goal to carry on the tradition of Patriot kickers winning it in the big games."

Tony Smidl, Wisconsin Wolfpack kicker 2010

"Tynes."

Rob Maver, Calgary Stampeders kicker

"I think that Weatherford is going to be the difference maker on special teams. He punted as good of a game that a punter could have in the NFC championship. I don't see him doing anything else on the big day."

Carlos Ojeda, kicker, Special Teams Coordinator at Miami-Northwestern Senior High

"Eli Manning."

[Editor's note: after we tried to give Carlos a hard time for selecting a QB rather than a kicker or punter, he gave us the following supplemental response...]

"I would love to see a kicker named the MVP but in this particular game I have to be completely unbiased and use my football knowledge in picking an MVP candidate. I truly feel Eli will be named MVP as much as I regret to admit."

Michael Husted, NFL kicker 1993-2002, National Camp Series

"I believe that there should be a "Kicking MVP" trophy for the Super Bowl. My vote is Stephen Gostkowski. He is an excellent kicker, but untested in big pressure situations. However, I feel that given the opportunity, he will come through in the clutch. This should be another excellent game to watch, that could come down to a late field goal to tie or win the game.

If we can't have a kicking MVP then I vote for Co-MVPs by all four:

• Steve Weatherford: Most "ripped and tatooed" punter to play in the Super Bowl
• Lawrence Tynes: Wylie veteran who has been there and he gets the job done
• Zoltan Mesko: Being that this game is watch all over the world, Zoltan knows several languages, so he can communicate effectively on and off of the field
• Gostkowski: See previous comment up above"