.jpg)
PRO CAREER: League leader in punts inside-the-20 since entering the NFL in 1997 (317) and since joining the Bears in 2001 (194)… Ranks 2nd with a 42.3-yard gross average, 3rd in franchise history with 26,307 yards and 622 punts… His 42,265 career punt yards on 1,002 punts ranks 3rd in the NFL among active kickers… Only 45.4 percent of his career punts have been returned, the 8th-best average among active kickers with multiple years of experience… League leader in punts, punt yards and punts in-the-20 while ranking 13th in net punt average (36.8) since joining Chicago… Bears punt coverage unit ranks 4th in the league since 2001, allowing just 7.6 yards per return… Played 161 consecutive games before an injury sidelined him in Week 2 of the 2007 season… Was named a second-alternate to the 2007 Pro Bowl after averaging 44.2 gross yards per punt with a 37.6 net average despite a career-low 77 punts during the 2006 season… Led League with career-low 2 touchbacks in 2002 and set team records for net punt average in 2001, 2002 and 2004… Began Bears career in 2001 with a team-record and career-high 36 punts in-the-20 to rank in the top 2 in the NFL for the fourth time in his career… Has successfully executed 4 special teams fakes during his Bears career, including 2 TD passes… Chicago's holder for all FG and PAT attempts, having done so throughout his career… Ranked among leaders in punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line in first 4 NFL seasons (1997, 1st in NFL; 1998, 2nd in NFL; 1999, 1st in NFC; 2000, 2nd in NFC)… Set Giants record and an NFL rookie record with 111 punts in 1997.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS: Entered NFL as a third-round selection (95th pick overall) by the New York Giants in the 1997 NFL Draft… Signed as a free agent with Chicago (3/3/01)… Signed 5-year contract extension with Bears (12/31/04). SIGNED through 2010
2007 SEASON: Participated in 15 games, booting 88 punts for a 41.8-yard gross average and a 37.4-yard net average… Eclipsed 40,000 career punt yards and landed 27 punts inside-the-20… Saw action in Game 1 and Games 3-16; Inactive with a groin injury for Game 2… Punted the ball a season-long 56 yards at GB (10/7) and again at MIN (12/17)… Received first NFL Special Teams Player of the Week honor following Week 16 vs. GB (12/23). GAMES PLAYED-STARTED: 15-0
PREVIOUS SEASONS: 2006 - Ranked 12th in NFL with a 44.2-yard gross punt average and 11th with a 37.6-yard net average on a career-low 77 punts, landing 24 inside-the-20… Appeared in all 16 regular season games for 10th consecutive season while compiling 3,404 punt yards with 7 touchbacks… His 18 postseason punts in 3 contests totaled 800 yards for a 44.4 gross punt average with 5 punts in-the-20, 3 touchbacks and a 37.8 net punt average… NFC Championship Game vs. NO (1/21) included 66-yard punt, tied for 2nd-longest in his career.
2005 - Ranked 3rd in NFC with 3,937 punt yards on 96 punts, landing 24 punts in-the-20 in 16 games played… Surpassed 35,000 career punt yards at GB (12/25).
2004 - Led NFL with 34 punts in-the-20 while ranking 2nd with career-best 38.7-yard net avg. and 6th in NFC with 42.9-yard gross avg… Set Bears franchise record and career-high with 4,638 punt yards on 108 punts, the second-most punts of his career and in Bears history… Played all 16 games and named a Pro Bowl first-alternate while becoming eleventh active punter to pass the 30,000 plateau for career punt yardage.
2003 - Ranked 7th in NFC with 41.2-yard gross average on 79 punts in 16 games played for Chicago… Tied for 15th in NFL with 23 punts in-the-20 to help Bears punt coverage unit rank 7th in NFL at 7.7 yards per return… Topped 25,000 career gross yards at DET (11/9).
2002 - Ranked 4th in NFC with Bears record net average of 37.4 yards and tied for 5th in NFC with 26 punts in-the-20… His 2 TBs were the fewest in the NFL while playing all 16 games… Converted first-down at STL (11/18) with 20-yard run on fake punt… Completed 12-yard TD shovel-pass to Dustin Lyman on FG fake at GB (12/1).
2001 - Set team record with career-high 36 punts in-the-20, 2nd-most in NFL as 41.4-percent of his punts were downed in-the-20 (36-of-87)… Also ranked 2nd in NFC (6th in NFL) with a 37.0-yard net avg. while punting in all 16 games, plus the playoff contest… Named NFC Special Team Player-of-the-Month for November… Set Bears single-game record at GB (12/9) with career-high 6 punts in-the-20… Completed go-ahead 27-yard TD pass to Brian Urlacher out of fake FG formation in 4th quarter at WAS (12/23).
2000 - Limited to 79 punts with New York, but ranked 3rd in NFC (8th in NFL) with 26 punts in-the-20 while averaging 40.6 yards with a net of 33.7 yards… Punted Super Bowl record 11 times with a 38.4-yard gross avg. in SB XXXV vs. BAL (1/28/01).
1999 - Played all 16 games for Giants, averaging 41.0 gross yards on 89 punts while leading NFC with 31 punts in-the-20.
1998 - Played all 16 games for New York, finishing 2nd in NFC (5th in NFL) with a 45.2-yard gross avg… Ranked 2nd in the NFL with 101 punts and tied for 2nd with 33 in-the-20… Set Giants record with 4,566 punting yards, breaking his own mark set as a rookie.
1997 - Grossed 40.8 yards per punt on an NFL rookie-record 111 punts… Led the League with 33 punts in-the-20 while playing in all 16 Giants games… Had punt blocked at ARZ (10/12), marking first time in his football career, including high school and college, that he had a punt blocked.
COLLEGE: Finished career at Ball State (1993-96) ranked 3rd in NCAA history, among punters with at least 200 punts, with a 44.2-yard career gross avg… Established school records with 242 punts and 10,702 punt yards… Consensus All-American selection and all-Mid American first-team pick as MAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year and MVP following his senior campaign… Majored in business.
PERSONAL: Two-time all-Rangeline Conference and all-Hamilton County punter at Sheridan H.S. in Atlanta, IN… Added Associated Press All-State, Indianapolis Star All-Suburban and Indianapolis News All-Metro honors… Recorded 2 INTs and 7 PBUs as a senior defensive back… Selected to the Indiana North-South All-Star team… Born in Tipton, IN… He and wife, Karen, have 2 sons, Conner and Cole and a daughter, Ava.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS: Entered NFL as a third-round selection (95th pick overall) by the New York Giants in the 1997 NFL Draft… Signed as a free agent with Chicago (3/3/01)… Signed 5-year contract extension with Bears (12/31/04). SIGNED through 2010
2007 SEASON: Participated in 15 games, booting 88 punts for a 41.8-yard gross average and a 37.4-yard net average… Eclipsed 40,000 career punt yards and landed 27 punts inside-the-20… Saw action in Game 1 and Games 3-16; Inactive with a groin injury for Game 2… Punted the ball a season-long 56 yards at GB (10/7) and again at MIN (12/17)… Received first NFL Special Teams Player of the Week honor following Week 16 vs. GB (12/23). GAMES PLAYED-STARTED: 15-0
PREVIOUS SEASONS: 2006 - Ranked 12th in NFL with a 44.2-yard gross punt average and 11th with a 37.6-yard net average on a career-low 77 punts, landing 24 inside-the-20… Appeared in all 16 regular season games for 10th consecutive season while compiling 3,404 punt yards with 7 touchbacks… His 18 postseason punts in 3 contests totaled 800 yards for a 44.4 gross punt average with 5 punts in-the-20, 3 touchbacks and a 37.8 net punt average… NFC Championship Game vs. NO (1/21) included 66-yard punt, tied for 2nd-longest in his career.
2005 - Ranked 3rd in NFC with 3,937 punt yards on 96 punts, landing 24 punts in-the-20 in 16 games played… Surpassed 35,000 career punt yards at GB (12/25).
2004 - Led NFL with 34 punts in-the-20 while ranking 2nd with career-best 38.7-yard net avg. and 6th in NFC with 42.9-yard gross avg… Set Bears franchise record and career-high with 4,638 punt yards on 108 punts, the second-most punts of his career and in Bears history… Played all 16 games and named a Pro Bowl first-alternate while becoming eleventh active punter to pass the 30,000 plateau for career punt yardage.
2003 - Ranked 7th in NFC with 41.2-yard gross average on 79 punts in 16 games played for Chicago… Tied for 15th in NFL with 23 punts in-the-20 to help Bears punt coverage unit rank 7th in NFL at 7.7 yards per return… Topped 25,000 career gross yards at DET (11/9).
2002 - Ranked 4th in NFC with Bears record net average of 37.4 yards and tied for 5th in NFC with 26 punts in-the-20… His 2 TBs were the fewest in the NFL while playing all 16 games… Converted first-down at STL (11/18) with 20-yard run on fake punt… Completed 12-yard TD shovel-pass to Dustin Lyman on FG fake at GB (12/1).
2001 - Set team record with career-high 36 punts in-the-20, 2nd-most in NFL as 41.4-percent of his punts were downed in-the-20 (36-of-87)… Also ranked 2nd in NFC (6th in NFL) with a 37.0-yard net avg. while punting in all 16 games, plus the playoff contest… Named NFC Special Team Player-of-the-Month for November… Set Bears single-game record at GB (12/9) with career-high 6 punts in-the-20… Completed go-ahead 27-yard TD pass to Brian Urlacher out of fake FG formation in 4th quarter at WAS (12/23).
2000 - Limited to 79 punts with New York, but ranked 3rd in NFC (8th in NFL) with 26 punts in-the-20 while averaging 40.6 yards with a net of 33.7 yards… Punted Super Bowl record 11 times with a 38.4-yard gross avg. in SB XXXV vs. BAL (1/28/01).
1999 - Played all 16 games for Giants, averaging 41.0 gross yards on 89 punts while leading NFC with 31 punts in-the-20.
1998 - Played all 16 games for New York, finishing 2nd in NFC (5th in NFL) with a 45.2-yard gross avg… Ranked 2nd in the NFL with 101 punts and tied for 2nd with 33 in-the-20… Set Giants record with 4,566 punting yards, breaking his own mark set as a rookie.
1997 - Grossed 40.8 yards per punt on an NFL rookie-record 111 punts… Led the League with 33 punts in-the-20 while playing in all 16 Giants games… Had punt blocked at ARZ (10/12), marking first time in his football career, including high school and college, that he had a punt blocked.
COLLEGE: Finished career at Ball State (1993-96) ranked 3rd in NCAA history, among punters with at least 200 punts, with a 44.2-yard career gross avg… Established school records with 242 punts and 10,702 punt yards… Consensus All-American selection and all-Mid American first-team pick as MAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year and MVP following his senior campaign… Majored in business.
PERSONAL: Two-time all-Rangeline Conference and all-Hamilton County punter at Sheridan H.S. in Atlanta, IN… Added Associated Press All-State, Indianapolis Star All-Suburban and Indianapolis News All-Metro honors… Recorded 2 INTs and 7 PBUs as a senior defensive back… Selected to the Indiana North-South All-Star team… Born in Tipton, IN… He and wife, Karen, have 2 sons, Conner and Cole and a daughter, Ava.
- 11/09/08Offense fizzles after taking early 7-0...
- 10/21/08Special teams unit shows resiliency
- 10/17/08Tillman, Vasher are both questionable
- 10/16/08Why didn't Urlacher, Briggs cover key...
- 10/07/08Special teams unit helped Bears cruise
- 10/01/08Special teams unit delivered in victory
More Related News
- 12/16/08Thayer's Play of the Week
- 11/09/08Smith postgame
- 08/05/08Camp highlights vol. 9
- 08/04/08Camp highlights vol. 8
- 07/11/08Stars of 2008
- More Related Multimedia
 |
 |