Still Got It - It is 99% mechanics

This post is somewhat personal in nature.

As a 31-year old retired NFL punter/kicker, I still love to get out there and kick few times a week. I have noticed that some of the power is gone. I attributed that to losing some muscle mass over the years. Especially since I have done almost no lifting in last 2 years.

This past Sunday, I was punting with Zoltan Mesko, University of Michigan's punter. It was a respectable day for me - pretty consistent with most punts with hang times in 4.6. to 4.8 second range. And then I hit a punt that hung in the air for 5.4 seconds. To say that I surprised myself would be an understatement. Zoltan was pretty shocked as well. For some of you who are not familiar with what that means, at least 1/2 of current NFL punters have never hit a 5.4 second hang time.

Somehow, it all came together for that one kick.

Everyone has that one kick that they will always remember. It is that one kick that gives us a glimpse of what is possible; what is within us if we trained more and expected more. It is what hooks you in. It is what makes you say, "I can kick in college" or , "I can kick in the NFL" or "I will be an All American".

I have nothing to train for any more. I am done with competitive sports. But I am so excited to get out to the field and into the weight room this week. Maybe if I trained more, I can get the 5.4 second hang times more often.

Yeah, I am still totally hooked.

Filip Filipovic
TheKickingCoach.com