Kickoffs

[Brian in Mesa]

Is there some written/unwritten rule that your kicker or punter must perform kickoffs? Couldn't a team try out several other position players until they found a guy who could regularly kick it into the endzone? Play that guy on kickoffs and you'd save your kicker's leg and have a better player on the field as a defender...

 

[Shane]

Several teams over the years have had two kickers one for kicks one for FGs...

But not takes up a valuable roster spot.

 

[Azlen]

Is there some written/unwritten rule that your kicker or punter must perform kickoffs? Couldn't a team try out several other position players until they found a guy who could regularly kick it into the endzone? Play that guy on kickoffs and you'd save your kicker's leg and have a better player on the field as a defender...

If there was a guy on the team who could do that they probably would. I just don't think there has ever been a position player with the leg to kick it into the endzone.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Several teams over the years have had two kickers one for kicks one for FGs...

But not if it takes up a valuable roster spot.

Yeah, that's why I was focusing on another position player - so it wouldn't take away a roster spot.

If there was a guy on the team who could do that they probably would. I just don't think there has ever been a position player with the leg to kick it into the endzone.

That is what I figured, but I'd be on the lookout all the time. Plenty of guys have played other positions by the time make it to the NFL and there has to have been a few kickers that moved on to other positions.

 

[Vermont Maverick]

Yes, there is an unwritten rule. The rule is that there IS NO position player who can kick a ball 75 yards. Do you know how hard that is to do?

I remember in the late 70's early 80's, when the Cards kicker got hurt (Neil O'Donoghue?), and the Cards decided to use LB Mark Arneson to kick off. This was a choice BEFORE they played the game. Instead of dropping a few bucks on a guy who could actually kick, they went with Mark Arneson! What a friggin' disaster, he was kicking ground balls. The "good" news is, they hardly put any points on the board that day, as usual, so there weren't too many kickoffs. Typical Bill Bidwillian move.

I am so thankful for Michael Bidwill. So thankful.

 

[CardsFan88]

Pat Tillman did it decently.

I don't see why you couldn't have every guy line (well except for maybe Palmer or similar) up and see what they can do. At least you'd know who might be your emergency kicker, like Tillman was.

 

[Dan H]

You'd think someone would come along with the ability to kick and punt. That would be pretty valuable as it would open up a roster spot for another skill position.

 

[GiantCardFan]

And there's no rule that your linemen

shouldn't be allowed to play quarterback. I think we should try out our DTs to see who can handle 3rd and 24 and we can rest Palme and keep him from getting sacked.

 

[HeavyB3]

I would think that it would take a great deal of years of practice on technique etc to be able to kick it that far. There are guys that probably did it in HS just because they were the all around best athlete, and they probably could occasionally boot it that far. I'm sure there are contingency plans where someone has to kick off and punt in emergencies, but I doubt they could just "do it"

 

[Darkside]

There are probably some dude's who can do it. The problem is doing it consistently and sometimes with guys falling all around you (in the case of punting). Nobody can do it consistently game after game, month after month, year after year, unless they've practiced for years. Most dude's probably can't even catch a long snap on a punt in the correct position to get it out of there.

And in the case of kickoffs they would pull a hammy before they ever reached the endzone.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

[Brian in Mesa]

LB Mark Arneson.

Never met Mark, but I used to talk to his younger brother Jim quite often. Friend of the family who was a regular customer at our family furniture store in Tempe over the years.

Sitting around the store talking with Jim one day and he was telling me about the few times his parents had to choose between their sons - one playing for the Cowboys (Jim) and one playing for the Cardinals (Mark). He said "How is a parent supposed to choose which team to root for in that situation?" To which I said - without even thinking about which brother I was talking with - "That's easy. You NEVER root for the Cowboys !!"