The Value of a Kickoff Kicker

[TennNC]

How valuable is a player who guarantees a touchback on every kickoff?

As valuable as a great punter?
Or a great kickoff returner?
Or a a great FG kicker?
Or any backup who plays primarily on special teams?

I'm not talking about a FG kicker who also handles kickoff duties. I'm talking about a player who just kicks off.

It certainly could've made the difference at the end of the Texas-Nebraska game, giving Texas the ball at the 40 instead of the 20. That's just one example, but imagine the value knowing an opponent won't start a drive any farther than their own 20 on every kickoff.

Surely there are more guys out there with the potential to do this one, unhindered task.

So, why isn't there a greater emphasis on it?

 

[T-TownVol]

With the kick originating from the 30 yard line now, kickers that can kick it more than 5 yards deep into the endzone are VERY hard to come by. Less than 5 yards in, more than likely, it is coming out.

 

[TennNC]

With the kick originating from the 30 yard line now, kickers that can kick it more than 5 yards deep into the endzone are VERY hard to come by. Less than 5 yards in, more than likely, it is coming out.

I know it makes it more difficult, but I've watched plenty of college games where kickers got touchbacks with consistency.

It seems to me that teams try to find FG kickers who can handle kickoffs, or punters who can handle kickoffs, instead of grooming kids who can just boom it into the end zone with regularity. And if there were an incentive to do this in the NFL, perhaps, then kids would focus on this task more, no?

 

[utvolpj]

it's a hard thing to find a kid in HS who can kick a ball over 70yds with some hang time consistently. Add in the fact that very few HS coaches would even know how to approach teaching them and it's even more difficult.

You also run into many HS coaches who don't believe in taking up a spot with a kid who can only kick and nothing else. Letting them practice about 1hr per week is just worthless.

Heck, look what happened at my HS when the coach that believed that way got canned, we got the Colquitts

 

[TennNC]

it's a hard thing to find a kid in HS who can kick a ball over 70yds with some hang time consistently. Add in the fact that very few HS coaches would even know how to approach teaching them and it's even more difficult.

You also run into many HS coaches who don't believe in taking up a spot with a kid who can only kick and nothing else. Letting them practice about 1hr per week is just worthless.

Heck, look what happened at my HS when the coach that believed that way got canned, we got the Colquitts

And the Colquitts are amazing punters. But can they also kick it into the end zone on a kickoff?

It's hard to do now because there's very little value placed on a player who can do it - it seems it simply doesn't matter that much to coaches. I'm arguing that it should.

Is a HS lineup that tight that a coach can't allot a spot to a kid who can essentially guarantee your opponent won't run one back on you? Or even ever get decent field position off a kickoff? Seems it'd be worth it to afford a slot to that player.

This isn't a "Blind Side" scenario, but imagine if you knew you could make a very high salary one day kicking a ball off a tee, with virtually no chance of ever getting hit by an opponent (therefore essentially guaranteeing no injuries, job security, etc.). Wouldn't you devote some extra time outside soccer practice to it? Maybe even hire a private coach to help you?

Keep in mind, this doesn't have to be a kid who excels at FGs or punts (which to me is quite a different skill). Just boot the ball off the tee.