Woes of the Kicker, Punter Too

There may come a time, as people push for more splashy action on the field, when football no longer has any use for the kicker. Touchdowns over field goals. 2-point conversions over extra points. 4th down attempts over punts. People always want more. There is never enough, even in football. Too often the kicker is only remembered when he fails. Scott Norwood and Gary Anderson will be forever remembered for a miss over so many successes. There was a time when the greatest football players, the true difference makers, separated themselves from the rest by their ability to kick the ball. Jim Thorpe, Paddy Driscoll and Ernie Nevers impacted the game with their kicking. Then, field position and field goals often decided the game. Now, kickers rarely practice with the team. They rarely get respect from the team. Several years ago, kicker Rich Karlis was welcomed to the Vikings by being taped up like a mummy and hung, upside down, from the goal post. Personally, I like kickers and punters. They're a little funky, a little different. As a football traditionalist, I value their importance now and their history. There will always be room for a kicker and punter on my team.. I hope that the NFL thinks so too.