Skip to main content

Tackling for kickers is a tough task

By WTOP Staff

DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Pro Football Writer

For all the diving catches and long runs during the NFL’s opening weekend, the most enduring image might have been a blooper.

The sight of Antonio Brown’s foot in Spencer Lanning’s face as the Pittsburgh returner was trying to elude the Cleveland punter last Sunday elicited sympathetic cringes and derisive laughs from far and wide.

“I caught a lot of grief from my friends. I saw the pictures because they were sent to me. I’ve seen all the videos, and I do think they’re pretty funny. I have to admit people do have some time on their hands,” Lanning said this week. “But at the end of the day, I probably would have had more fun with it had we won.”

Brown was fined $8,268 by the NFL on Friday.

At first glance, this was just another futile attempt by an undersized specialist at tackling a player paid for his speed, agility and size, not simply for the strength and accuracy of his leg. Lanning was at least a good sport about the gaffe. He said he wasn’t mad.

“He just should have given me a move, I thought, but whatever,” said Lanning, who had a sore neck and a bruise over his right eye but was uncertain whether that came from the collision.

Brown drew an unnecessary roughness penalty but said he meant no harm. After appearing to abort his hurdle mid-stride when realizing Lanning was not going to desperately dive at his knees and instead had him properly lined up like any defender would, Brown’s leg wound up headed straight for the front of the orange helmet.

“I tried to get over him,” Brown said after the game. “There was no intent to hurt him. It was just a bad outcome of a play.”

Fair catches and down-field tackles that prevent long returns, of course, are far more common than punters being part of the play. Touchbacks for kickers have the same effect. Rare is the moment when the specialists are in sole position to stop a runback.

The task, however, is no joke.

If the kicker or the punter is in such a position, they’re often the last chance to prevent a touchdown that can make the difference in winning or losing. Their disadvantage, against a returner approaching at full speed, in this scenario is stark.

“It’s icing on the cake if you can make a tackle and bring someone down,” said Kansas City punter Dustin Colquitt, who made the Pro Bowl in 2012.

Lanning’s peers, naturally, expressed pride in his effort, courage and technique.

“He was right on him. He got his arm around his leg, still, and he made him stumble,” Minnesota punter Jeff Locke said.

Full tackling drills in practice these days in the NFL are rare even for defensive players, so the most work the specialists typically get in this area is with pursuit angles after the ball is kicked. They’re taught how to effectively use the sideline as an extra teammate.

“If you can just slow him down until somebody who is in pursuit can come and get him, you’ve done your job,” Vikings kicker Blair Walsh said.

The instincts aren’t always there, because most of them have been focused on kicking their whole career.

Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos was on a high school team in Florida with only 19 players, though, so he had to play some on defense. Some guys, like Oakland’s Sebastian Janikowski, are big enough to deliver jarring hits. Indianapolis kickoff man Pat McAfee pancaked Denver’s Trindon Holliday during a game last season.

Colquitt fondly remembered former teammate Daniel Sepulveda in action: “He can absolutely boss return guys. He just had that linebacker mentality, so it was fun.”

Tennessee punter Brett Kern, as a rookie with Denver at the time, was about to be leveled during a play while an Oakland blocker had his hand against his chin. So Kern held on, twisted the guy’s facemask and brought them both to the turf.

“I got a FedEx letter that Wednesday,” Kern said of the $5,000 fine. “I almost broke down in tears having to tell my wife about that.”

Touchbacks and fair catches are always the goal. That’s not cowardice, but rather common sense. If a returner is racing toward a kicker or a punter that means he, or a teammate or two on the coverage unit, has not done his job.

“Hopefully I’ll get a highlight soon, right?” Locke said, pausing to reconsider: “Or hopefully I don’t get a highlight soon. I never want to be that guy.”

___

AP Pro Football Writer Teresa M. Walker in Nashville, Tennessee, and AP Sports Writers Jon Krawczynski in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Dave Skretta in Kansas City, Missouri, and Tom Withers in Berea, Ohio, contributed to this report.

___

Online:

AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/DaveCampbellAP

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote