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Conversely, placekickers and punters can also have very short careers, mainly because of a lack of opportunity. Because the risk of injury is remote, NFL teams typically only carry one punter on their roster at any given time. Thus, the only opportunity a punter has of breaking into the league is if
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A punter's job is no longer simply to kick the ball high and far while fans hold their collective breath that this time isn't the time when the ball flies sideways into the stands. No, punters are now neutralizing and terrorizing the most electric return men in the NFL with kicks that spin and move
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Two CFL punters share the record for the longest punt in professional football history at 108 yards. Such a punt is theoretically possible in
American football, but would likely result in a touchback, moreover this would require the line of scrimmage to be on the punting team's two yard line, thus
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from advancing the ball). Punters therefore must be able to kick the ball high, long distances, and precisely. One standard is that a punt should be in the air for at least 1 second for every 10 yards it travels, but the linear relationship drops off once it hits over 50 yards.
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as a punter but performed other kicking duties as well. Guy is credited with raising the status of punters in the NFL because he proved to be a major ingredient in the
Raiders' success during the 1970s by preventing opponents from gaining field position advantage.
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position players (there is a similar tendency with kickers). One reason for this is that their limited time on the field and heavy protection by penalties against defensive players for late hits makes them far less likely to be injured than other positions.
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revolutionized punting by developing many variations, due to his flexible hips in an effort to increase net punting average by giving the ball variable trajectories and bounce, making it more difficult for returners to catch and return.
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and understand kicking mechanics, such as how far back to lean the ball as the kicker makes an attempt, and when a field goal attempt should be aborted. Punters may pass or run the ball on fake field goal attempts and fake punts.
325:, but the second punter is typically "camp fodder" and seldom makes the opening day roster. Unlike backups at other positions, backup placekickers and punters are not employed by any given team until they are needed; most
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Steve O'Neal set the record for the longest punt in a
National Football League game in 1969 with a punt measuring 98 yards. It is the longest recorded punt in a game possible that did not end in a touchback.
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292:, have filled in as worthy backup field goal kickers. Punters seldom receive much attention or fan support, in part because they are called upon when a team's offense has just failed.
465:, who set the NFL single-season scoring record with 176 points in 12 games in 1960, was suspended for gambling in 1963 and suffered a sharp decline in accuracy in 1964. Linebacker
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562:. A quarterback and punter in college, Tupa started his career in the NFL as a quarterback but eventually settled into a role as a full-time punter and emergency quarterback.
224:(making it impossible to advance the ball until the next play) or after being kicked exceptionally high (allowing the kicking team time to run down the field and prevent the
175:(kicks) the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a third down in
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in his career, was one of the first successful
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teams, because of smaller rosters and fields along with rules that either ban or discourage punting, do not employ punting specialists.
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from 1976 through 1979, but was the team's primary punter from 1975 through 1984, when he gave up the kicking duties to
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as a punting specialist in 1966. Wilson punted for the Chiefs for 13 seasons, and combined with placekicker
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By the late 2010s and early 2020s, punters were highly specialized players on an NFL roster. Louis Bien of
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the incumbent punter leaves the team or is injured. Some NFL teams will carry two punters during the
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is to force the team that is receiving the kick to start as far as possible from the punting team's
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Boomerangs, Knuckleballs, Hooks: How Sam Koch & the Ravens
Changed Punting | NFL Films Presents
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Punters may also impart a spin to the ball that makes it harder to catch, increasing the odds of a
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Before Guy's arrival in
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and is thus accustomed to catching a long-snapped ball. Additionally, punters are also
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with 71,211 yards. He played from 1988 to 2009 for five different teams in the NFL.
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brought
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65-yd, 5.4 sec Punt by
Australian Punter Joe Gardener - NFL Free Agent Camp
797:"Utah football: Mitch Wishnowsky wins Utah's third straight Ray Guy Award"
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was likewise expected to "double-up" at another position), even after the
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and bounce and flip in all sorts of unpredictable, terror-inducing ways".
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656:, 2017). All three finalists for the 2016 award were Australians. In the
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Certain punters can have exceptionally long careers, compared to other
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to give the team one of the best kicking combinations in the league.
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players to punt for them, as punting is a basic skill in that game.
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Backup quarterbacks were commonly used to punt well into the 1970s.
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increasing the difficulty of achieving an exceptionally long punt.
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attempts. The punter has typically developed chemistry with the
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in the late 1960s and early 1970s, punting for the club in
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Punt
Competition To Play In Under Armour All-America Game
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that may lead to the punter's team regaining possession.
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Starting in the 1990s, some NFL teams turned to retired
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was selected as the 11th pick in the first round of the
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played 22 seasons as a punter, on five different teams.
771:"Just Because: Here's the longest NFL punt in history"
664:, had at least one Australian punter on their roster.
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One of the last examples of a punting quarterback was
449:as their punter. The Packers' regular placekicker,
60:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
382:is the only pure punter to be inducted into the
309:, for instance, played 19 NFL seasons and three
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678:were noted for almost exclusively employing
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488:, bucked the trend at the time by signing
529:played little as a backup quarterback to
120:Learn how and when to remove this message
469:served as a punter for the AFL-champion
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27:Gridiron football special teams position
901:"This is the golden age of NFL punting"
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284:as most punters have been at one point
585:(AFL), to the NFL, doing so in 1994.
484:, who played in Super Bowl I and won
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260:The punter frequently serves as the
58:adding citations to reliable sources
873:Vrentas, Jenny (January 11, 2018).
628:football, were won by Australians:
313:seasons for eight different teams.
589:, who entered the league with the
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899:Bien, Louis (December 11, 2018).
624:, presented to the top punter in
453:, was an All-Pro punter with the
280:Many punters also double duty as
823:Niesen, Joan (August 16, 2018).
620:Between 2013 and 2017, all five
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932:Example of a coffin corner punt
795:Goon, Kyle (December 8, 2016).
143:punts the ball in November 2008
69:"Punter" gridiron football
45:needs additional citations for
515:took on the same role for the
418:was a punter and fullback for
1:
1290:American football terminology
1280:American football positions
875:"Punting Takes a Left Turn"
553:Michigan Wolverines in 2008
288:as well, and some, such as
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384:Pro Football Hall of Fame
354:holds the NFL record for
851:NFL Films (2016-09-26),
327:indoor American football
197:Punt (gridiron football)
163:player who receives the
1275:American football plays
507:at quarterback for the
503:, who was stuck behind
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802:The Salt Lake Tribune
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342:Winnipeg Blue Bombers
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208:punting for the 49ers
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195:Further information:
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676:New England Patriots
356:career punting yards
187:instead of punting.
54:improve this article
611:Washington Redskins
509:San Francisco 49ers
445:using running back
282:kickoff specialists
212:The purpose of the
1073:Kickoff specialist
879:Sports Illustrated
830:Sports Illustrated
644:, 2014 and 2015),
609:, formerly of the
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286:field goal kickers
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777:. 16 October 2014
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517:Minnesota Vikings
435:Green Bay Packers
177:Canadian football
169:line of scrimmage
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501:Steve Spurrier
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1248:Nomenclature
1106:Long snapper
1088:Game manager
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912:September 6,
910:. Retrieved
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882:. Retrieved
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858:, retrieved
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615:U.S. college
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549:Zoltán Meskó
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494:Jan Stenerud
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467:Paul Maguire
463:Paul Hornung
451:Don Chandler
439:Super Bowl I
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373:
370:Draft status
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352:Jeff Feagles
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315:Jeff Feagles
307:Sean Landeta
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270:long snapper
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248:Robbie Gould
241:Brad Maynard
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165:snapped ball
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52:Please help
47:verification
44:
1084:Dual-threat
1080:Quarterback
1065:Placekicker
1055:Edge rusher
1043:Nose tackle
884:January 11,
808:February 4,
700:dual-footed
680:left-footed
658:2018 season
638:Tom Hackett
630:Tom Hornsey
603:Mat McBriar
527:Danny White
505:John Brodie
427:placekicker
338:Bob Cameron
245:placekicker
110:August 2010
1269:Categories
1237:Formations
1194:Receivers
1172:Returning
1164:Nickelback
1152:Cornerback
1098:Linebacker
860:2016-11-08
836:August 20,
781:2021-02-27
698:) who was
587:Ben Graham
539:Mike Saxon
396:1979 draft
266:field goal
80:newspapers
1218:Tackling
1206:Tight end
1102:Snapping
973:Positions
906:SB Nation
711:SB Nation
702:. By the
636:, 2013),
607:Sav Rocca
597:with the
533:with the
420:Wisconsin
416:Pat O'Dea
407:Evolution
388:NFL Draft
323:preseason
171:and then
1252:Strategy
1210:Slotback
1202:Eligible
1168:Dimeback
1160:Halfback
1142:Wingback
1134:Fullback
682:punters
668:Sam Koch
617:teams.
560:Tom Tupa
218:end zone
206:Andy Lee
1230:Utility
1060:Kicking
1038:Linemen
1020:Linemen
1006:Defense
994:Offense
937:YouTube
759:YouTube
742:YouTube
713:wrote:
634:Memphis
513:Bob Lee
398:by the
380:Ray Guy
378:player
374:Former
340:of the
274:kickers
239:punter
139:of the
94:scholar
1226:Upback
1222:Gunner
1184:Jammer
1156:Safety
1138:H-back
1110:Holder
1092:System
1069:Punter
1047:Tackle
1033:Center
1025:Tackle
262:holder
149:punter
96:
89:
82:
75:
67:
1188:Upman
1147:Backs
1029:Guard
723:Notes
654:Texas
181:throw
173:punts
159:is a
155:) in
101:JSTOR
87:books
1242:List
979:and
914:2022
886:2018
838:2018
810:2017
674:The
642:Utah
605:and
577:and
480:The
473:and
457:but
441:and
437:won
311:USFL
255:muff
214:punt
73:news
1214:End
1204:),
1132:),
1051:End
975:in
935:on
757:on
740:on
686:of
346:CFL
302:NFL
264:on
183:or
56:by
1271::
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