Learning From NFL Tryouts

Few weeks ago I invited Kansas City Chiefs Special Teams Coach Steve Hoffman to work out few specialists that I am training. He watched their videos and set up their tryouts for March 26th at the University of Michigan indoor facility.

Three guys that were trying out out were:

1) Zoltan Mesko, University of Michigan punter. Top punter int he nation from college class of 2010.
2) Todd Carter, Grand Valley State University. Kicker with a very strong leg
3) Zach Johnson, Eastern Michigan University punter. Underrated punter with a strong leg.

Tryout took 4 hours. Steve Hoffman is one of those special teams coaches who relies on more than just a stopwatch and a chart to evaluate kickers and punters. He has been coaching specialists for 25 years at the NFL level. He looks for technical proficiency, foot speed, coachability and body language. He is not evaluating a kicker based on how he is kicking today. He is evaluating him on his potential, personality traits, and how he feels that the kicker will deal with the NFL culture.

Whenever a specialist is trying to go up a level (high school to college, college to professional), he has to start comparing himself to those who play at the next level. Being a good high school kicker does not mean that you will kick in college. Being a top 5 college kicker does not mean that you will get a shot at the NFL. Coaches and recruiters are looking for more than just your performance numbers. They are trying to figure out if they can see you wearing the uniform of their team.

Words of Advice: If you are trying to move up to the next level, observe how succesful specialists that play at the next level kick, practice, work out, interact with coaches and teammates, react to success and failure, etc. And then do what they do.

Filip Filipovic
THEKICKINGCOACH.COM

2010 Ohio Off-Season Kicking Clinic

After a huge success of Illinois and Michigan Off Season Clinics we expanded east to include a great football state of Ohio. Sold out clinic took place in March at the University of Akron 's beautiful indoor facility. Staff was very talented, consisting of future NFL kickers and punters.
From Left: Jon Thoma - OHIO STATE, Aaron Bates - MICHIGAN STATE, Aaron Pettrey - OHIO STATE, Myself, Craig Burgess - IUP, Todd Carter - GRAND VALLEY STATE, Zach Johnson - EASTERN MICHIGAN, Dan Conroy - MICHIGAN STATE


Filip Filipovic
THEKICKINGCOACH.COM