AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to over 30 million articles from top publications available through your library.
Create a link to this page
Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:
Kick'em where they ain't!
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU died watching an opposing kick-return specialist break into the clear and head for the end zone? It is one of the worst feelings in the world for a football coach.
Do you usually attribute the return to a breakdown in your coverage? Do you attribute it to a line-drive kick? Do you ever wonder why your kicker's nice high, deep kicks are still being returned for long yardage?
The truth is that your kicker may be facilitating the return man's job by booting the ball straight down the field, giving him all kinds of room for the return.
I'm astonished at the lack of purpose in modern punting and kicking. We teach our kids the proper mechanics, but fail to understand that "high and deep" is not as important as the type of kick and its direction.
We instituted a system of directional kicking at LaPorte H.S. for two reasons:
1. We did not have an athlete who could kick the ball into the end zone or punt it 45 yards consistently.
2. We felt that by studying our opponents we could exploit their predictable return patterns by utilizing an end-over-end kick to limit the returns and enhance our field position. In short, instead of bemoaning our lack of talented kickers/punters, we adjusted our philosophy.
- Timpson Not Disappointed--Yet // Receiver Will Kick off Season as Return Man
- Newspaper article from: Chicago Sun-Times MIKE MULLIGAN August 29, 1995 700+ words
...Timpson, who'll return kicks against the Minnesota...fulfilling that. Doing kicks proves I can do more than...as though I'm doing kicks because I'm not the...s share of work as a kick return man, something he has done...
- Colts' Return Man Brewer Was Forgotten as Bear
- Newspaper article from: Chicago Sun-Times Dan Pompei December 21, 1994 700+ words
...camp began. They didn't have a return man with experience after cutting Clarence...Brewer also has returned some kicks and is fourth string at halfback...never really looked at Brewer as a return man. Special teams coach Danny Abramowicz...
- ANOTHER SHAKY OUTING FOR RETURN MAN MOSES PELINI WILL TAKE NEBRASKA JOB.(SPORTS)
- Newspaper article from: The Capital Times (Madison, WI) Dougherty, Pete December 23, 2002 700+ words
...Sherman said Moses would remain his return man. But on Sunday, when asked if he...difficult time in his two games as a return man since the Packers promoted him from...or 7 p.m.; a Sunday game would kick off at 3:30 p.m. If they receive...
- BEARS CUT RETURN MAN MILBURN.(SPORTS)
- Newspaper article from: The Cincinnati Post (Cincinnati, OH) October 18, 2001 700+ words
...no longer have to worry about stopping return man Glyn Milburn when they play the Chicago...Milburn is the team's career leader in kick return yardage. He was selected to the...R.W. McQuarters could take over the kick return duties. Defensive back Jerry Azumah...
- Return man Morton misses practice.(SPORTS)(REDSKINS NOTES)
- Newspaper article from: The Washington Times September 30, 2004 700+ words
...WASHINGTON TIMES Still limping noticeably, Washington Redskins return man Chad Morton skipped practice yesterday and refused to forecast...with Gardner. A flag would have given Washington a chance to kick about a 24-yard field goal to send the game to overtime...
- Small awakening: Speedy receiver-return man displayed his playmaking ability in...
- Newspaper article from: Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, OH) September 25, 2007 700+ words
...big plans going into this season. With the record-setting return man Ginn, his former high school teammate at Cleveland Glenville...that we won't lose a step in the punt return game and the kick return game," Small said as preseason camp opened. "And...
- SMITH IS BRONCOS ONLY GO-TO GUY IN PASS OFFENSE, SO WHY RISK HIM AS RETURN...
- Newspaper article from: Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO) Krieger, Dave September 21, 2004 700+ words
...effective. Not by a lot, but by enough to diminish the offense. Kick returning is a young man's game, and Smith is not getting...Shanahan doesn't trust any of them, he should go out and sign a return man from Canada or NFL Europe or some British rugby league. Shanahan...
- BRIEF: Hoosiers' return man can change a game.
- Newspaper article from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, MO) September 22, 2007 700+ words
...has good hands. You can't kick it out of bounds. You definitely don't want to kick to him. So you have to come...allowing him to return only two kicks for 46 yards. The Hoosiers...Zook said some coaches would kick to Thigpen instead of using...
