How To Punt a Football

Special Teams may not be the most exciting plays in football, but they are very important. Nick Saban, coach of Alabama, and Bill Belichick, coach of the New England Patriots, take pride in their special teams. It is no surprise then, that these two coaches are the most successful coaches in their respective leagues.

One aspect of Special Teams is punting the football. This occurs when a team has the ball and it has become the last down (4th down) and they are not in field goal range. They decide to punt the ball so that they can "flip the field" which forces the opposing team to go a further distance in order to score a touchdown.

How To Punt a Football:

Step 1: Line up directly behind the center. You should be anywhere between 16-17 yards behind the line of scrimmage where the football is.

Step 2: Count your players. You must make sure that you have exactly 10 players on the field so that makes you the eleventh player. This will prevent you from drawing a penalty.

Step 3: Stagger your stance. Place your dominate foot (The one you will kick with) in back of your plant foot.

Step 4: Place your hands waist level and signal to your center to snap the ball. This could be in the form of a clap, a head nod or a verbal signal.

Step 5: Catch the football and take your first step with your kicking foot.

Step 6: Arrange the football so that the tip of the football is angled slightly as if it is pointing towards the 2 on a clock.

Step 7: Take your second step making sure that the laces are facing up.

Step 8: Extend both your arms while holding the hand of your dominate foot open palmed underneath the ball.

Step 9: Drop the ball by removing your hands in a natural movement allowing the ball to fall straight down.

Step 10: Swing your kicking foot back and bend your knee so that you create a pendulum movement forward to kick the ball.

Step 11: Follow through with your punt by kicking your dominant leg as high as you can which should force your plant foot to skip off the ground before landing to stabilize yourself.

Step 12: Watch the flight of the ball and scream out any indicators to your teammates for what you want them to do. For example: Yell out the direction the ball will travel so they know where to run to tackle the opponent. (middle, left, right).

Fantasy Football Rookie Sleepers

Its almost that time. Fantasy Football is just around the corner. The great players from last year are not always the same players this year. Consistency is the most sought after trait in fantasy football and only a few players can perform on the same elite level year after year. The key is to find the sleepers. These are the players that no one talks about that are much more valuable than their draft position would suggest.

 Every year there are new players in the Fantasy Football universe by way of rookies. These first year players have not gotten a chance to prove their worth in the league just yet. These players are the riskiest to draft since nobody knows what to expect from them. They are also the easiest sleeper picks to acquire. I have predicted the top 5 rookie sleepers for the 2018 NFL Season.


1. Calvin Ridley WR Atlanta Falcons projected round 12 

During his time at Alabama, a team that was run first pass second, Calvin Ridley was able to achieve a 1,000 yard season his freshman year in 2015. He has tremendous upside for a 12th round pick on a team that moves the ball as well as the Atlanta Falcons. I expect Calvin Ridley to establish himself as a viable flex option throughout the season with an estimated 155 fantasy points in a PPR league.


2. Nyheim Hines RB Indiannapolis Colts projected round:
Round 15 

Nyheim Hines was an explosive running back for North Carolina State in the 2017 season. He split carries with Jaylen Samuels and was the speed back in the offense. The Indiannoplis Colts will miss the presence of Frank Gore this year and with Andrew Luck coming back from injury, the offense will be back to form. Nyheim will provide fantasy owners with RB2 production and I would not be
surprised if he assumed the starting role later in the year.


3. Hayden Hurst TE Baltimore Ravens projected round: Undrafted

Hayden Hurst was a hidden gem on a mediocre South Carolina team. He has incredible hands and ball skills for a tight end. The Baltimore Ravens have been known to utilize a system that favors tight ends in the redzone. Hayden's skillset will allow him to become a starting TE in his rookie year with a great chance of finding the endzone at least 7 times.


4. Anthony Miller WR Chicago Bears projected round: Round 13

Anthony Miller's numbers in college can compete with any other rookie wide receiver this year. He benefited from the offensive system at Memphis which was an uptempo offensive with a lot more passing than running. His ability to win 1 on 1 battles with cornerbacks and his nose for the endzone give him a great chance to be a breakout wide receiver in the NFL. I predict that Anthony Miller will make an early impact and become a hot commodity in trade talks during the season.


5. Braxton Berrios WR New England Patriots projected round: Undrafted

Danny Amendola's exit from the New England Patriots combined with Julian Edelman's four game suspsenion gives rookie Braxton Berrios a great opportunity to prove himself to coach Belichick. The Patriots have always favored quick slot receivers such as Danny Ammendola, Julian Edelman, and Wes Welker. If Braxton can replicate his 2017 season at the University of Miami, he will provide a great Flex option in any PPR league for his 2018 campaign.

Inspirational NFL Stories

http://www.nflgridirongab.com/5-inspirational-nfl-stories-that-will-be-told-forever/

The blog entry above lists stories of NFL players that overcame the odds to make it to the big leagues. I enjoyed reading the article because I was familiar with four of the players but I never heard about Vince Papale until I this read this entry. If his goal was to pick five inspirational stories that are the most memorable, I think that Matt Loede missed two very notable stories.


Dez Bryant

Desmond Bryant was born to a single mother of three in a poor neighborhood in Texas. His mother sold crack to make a living and Dez was forced to sleep on the floor because there were nights where fifteen people slept in the same duplex. At night growing up, his mother had to lock the fridge so that no one ate from it. He states that he grew up eating potato chips and peanut butter. When it came time to sign up for football, the coaches told him that it wouldn't be cheap and that he had to buy his own equipment. Des certainly could not afford equipment but on his way home he saw an abandoned trailer and stole football pads. Once he found something to do he worked hard at it and was able to land himself an athletic scholarship so that he could attend college and later finds himself as a 3 time pro-bowl wide receiver earning $13 million dollars a year.


Derrick Coleman



Derrick Coleman was born with a genetic disease that caused him to lose his hearing. Growing up he was often bullied for having hearing aids and was called "four ears" by the neighborhood kids. Derrick begged his mother to let him play football since she was worried it would further damage his hearing. She finally allowed him to play only if he wore something under his helmet that ensured that his hearing aids would not be damaged. Communication is the foundation for a football team to succeed and many were afraid that Derrick would not be able to take his talents to the field. Coleman realized that he could read the quarterbacks lips in the huddle to get the play call. He finally got his chance in the NFL after having a standout senior year at UCLA. The Seahawks staff worked hard with Derrick Coleman to get him ready to compete on the highest level. Coleman would eventually get a starting role as fullback and helped his team win a superbowl in 2014.

Chris Herndon's DWI Video Released by TMZ

https://lorenzokazdan.blogspot.com/2018/06/bad-beginnings-for-new-york-jets-4th.html

I visited Wikipedia earlier in June and edited a page on NFL player Christopher Herndon. The changes that I made were later erased and the page was brought back to its original form. I do not understand why this happened since the information I put in the Wikipedia page was accurate and properly sourced. Christopher Herndon's page is very short and does not have any information on it besides his current position as an NFL player. 

On June 2nd, Christopher Herndon was arrested for a DWI. Recently, TMZ has received and shared two videos from the scene. In the first video you can hear the events told by a witness who is involved in the accident. He states that Christopher must have been going close to 100 mph before colliding with him. You can see the damage done in the collision as well. In the second video, you can see Christopher Herndon answering questions from the police officer on the scene who later makes him walk in a straight line which is commonly used to test sobriety. 

Christopher Herndon registered a .14 BAC which is .06 more than the legal limit which is .08. He is due in court on August 22, which is only two days before the Jets 3rd pre-season game against the Giants. Once the court decision is made the NFL will follow with whatever they deem is the necessary punishment for his actions. 

http://www.tmz.com/2018/07/17/chris-herndon-ny-jets-dui-crash-video/

Revisiting the Legalization of Sports Gambling

https://lorenzokazdan.blogspot.com/2018/06/new-jersey-places-large-wager-on-sports.html

Earlier in the summer I wrote an article about sports wagering. Companies are jockeying for position in order to dominate this new segment. There has been backlash however with the decision to legalize sports gambling. It would seem that players themselves had no say in the matter but now they are voicing their opinions.

International Game Technology also referred to as IGT has partnered up with one of the leading fantasy sports companies, FanDuel. Together they have opened up sportsbooks at Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey, and have plans to create self-service machines as well as online wagering through their FanDuel app. In the first two weeks sports gambling was legal, New Jersey accepted $16.4 million dollars in wagers. 

A major concern that was brought to life was privacy. Players are often asked about their decisions in the offseason as well as when they are expected to come back from an injury. Not only are players harassed by the media and the public but their close family and friends are also affected by this, assuming that they also have knowledge of what an athlete will do. A major example of this was the LeBron James decision earlier this month. Richard Jefferson openly stated to the media that he was no longer friends with LeBron so that no one would continue to bother him trying to get information out of him regarding his free agency. When you factor in monetary gain from this information in the way of sports gambling, this information becomes extremely valuable and will become even more sought out. 

Former NFL player Eric Winston who is also the president of the NFL Player's Association, stated that gambling dehumanizes players. He references fantasy football and the fans reactions to poor performances and social media attacks. People forget that everyone is human, even these professional athletes. We lose light of this because they are so consistently great at what they do, and when they do not perform as expected, they receive threatening messages on social media. It is unfair to the players to be viewed in this light because they always compete and try their best to win and when they lose I'm sure they feel bad enough and do not need the excessive hatred they receive on social media platforms. 

July 4th is Not a Great Day for the NFL

On July 4th every year in the United States we celebrate Independence day. This is the anniversary of the day the United States declared independence from Britain and signed the declaration of independence in 1776. BBQs and fireworks are commonplace on this day and serve as symbols for the holiday.

The 4th of July is during the offseason for NFL players. This is a holiday that they can share with their family without missing any important games or practices. The SB article listed below talks about the tragedy that happened nine years ago on independence day. Former Tennessee Titan Quarterback Steve Mcnair was murdered by Sahel Kazemi before she decided to take her own life. Kazemi was having an affair with Steve who was married to another woman at the time. As mentioned in the article, Mcnair's mother does not believe that he will be remembered for cheating on his wife more than he should be remembered for his football career. Steve's career was not the greatest among the quarterbacks of his era but he will always be remembered for dying at the young age of 36 only 2 years out of retirement from the league.

According the the SB Nation article, July 4th is the most dangerous holiday of the year. This is certainly because of the fireworks that are lit to celebrate. Jason Pierre Paul knows this better than most. The current NFL defensive end was lighting fireworks in 2015 when one had gone off and severely burned his right hand. The gruesome injury is pictured in the sports illustrated article below.

Jason was almost certain that this injury would ruin his career. One doctor told him that he would most likely never play football again. As stated in the article, Jason told his doctors to not cut off his hand no matter what. He was confident that no matter how bad his injury was that he was talented enough to play without all of his fingers.

Before every game in the 2015 season he looked at his hospital wristband to remind himself how lucky he was to still be able to play the game he loved and that he did not get more hurt than he did. The funny part about that wristband is that it does not bare the name you would have thought. The Sports Illustrated article explains that Jason Pierre Paul wanted to avoid attention and did not want the media aware of his incident, so he was entered into the hospital as "Don X".

The 4th of July is a time of celebration but NFL fans will always remember the events that happened on this day for the late Steve McNair and the current NFL lineman Jason Pierre Paul. The 4th of July will always be celebrated by fireworks but now fans hope that these players have learned from Jason Pierre Paul's mistakes.






























https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/04/12/jason-pierre-paul-giants-fireworks-destroyed-hand-exclusive

https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2018/7/3/17531634/steve-mcnair-murder-nfl-fourth-of-july

The One and Only T.O

Terrell Eldorado Owens, also known as T.O, has one of the best statistical careers for an NFL wide receiver. His combination of size, speed, and great hands make him one of the best wide receivers of all time. He is mostly known however for his on the field antics and his media personality. Terrell Owens played for four NFL teams and brought drama and chaos to each organization. T.O always wanted to be in the spotlight and required attention at all times. His personality was the reason that a talented receiver such as himself could not stay with a single organization. Football fans may not like Owens but they definitely know who he is and how he acted in between plays on the football field.

In the NFL, wide receivers tend to carry the ball into the end zone more frequently than any other position. This gives them more opportunities to celebrate their scoring plays. When it comes to celebrations, Terrell Owens is one of the best and most creative mind there is. In an NFL network list, he was rated number 2 for having the best touchdown celebrations. 

His original celebrations include: the mocking of Ray Lewis, the thriller dance, the popcorn celebration, the pom-pom celebration, the midfield cowboy star celebration, and the sharpie celebration. These celebrations were not always allowed by the NFL but Terrell Owens did not care if he had to pay a fine or if his team had to take a penalty, he was going to do what he wanted regardless. Players these days are much less willing to do elaborate celebrations because the fines have increased and the referees are much less hesitant to throw a penalty flag. This makes the celebrations of T.O much more memorable. 

Did He Catch It?

Dez Bryant's "non-catch" is one of the most controversial calls in the history of the NFL. It was the 4th and 2 play for the Dallas Cowboys against the Green Bay Packers in the 2014 NFC Divisional Playoff game. With 4 min and 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Dallas Cowboys found themselves down by 5 at the Green Bay 32 yard-line and a field goal in this position would fail to give them the lead.

Tony Romo snaps the ball looking toward his number 1 receiver knowing that it would be up to him to make a play on the ball. After releasing down the field, Dez Bryant turns toward the quarterback to see the ball headed his way. On his hip is top-notch cornerback Sam Shields. Dez has a significant size advantage on Shields and makes it count.

Dez Bryant successfully climbs the ladder and grabs the ball with both hands. On his way down he makes contact with cornerback Sam Shields and pulls the ball in to secure the catch.

Bryant comes down with the ball. In the NFL a receiver must touch both feet on the ground inbounds after jumping for a catch with full possession in order for it to be a completed catch. Bryant successfully does so.

After touching both feet on the ground, Dez smells the end zone. He reaches for the goal line with hopes of giving his team the lead.

Dez Bryant loses control of the ball when reaching for the white line. The ball clearly leaves his possession but Dez regathers the ball so that it cannot be ruled a fumble and loss of possession. The Referee signals that the receiver for the Cowboys is down at the 1 yard line after completing the catch on 4th down.  

Play is later stopped and the play is then reviewed. The referees then announce to the fans that the play is overturned. They believe that Dez Bryant did not maintain possession of the ball and that the pass was incomplete. This ruling would give the ball back to the Green Bay Packers since the Cowboys had not converted on their 4th down attempt. Dez Bryant along with the rest of the Cowboys are furious with the call and cannot believe that the ruling had been overturned.



The process of making a catch gets tricky once they player goes to the ground. The rules say that a player must maintain possession through contact with the ground in order to have made a catch. This rule is negated however by the rule stating that a player that becomes a runner with the football does not have to maintain possession after hitting the ground but rather that player is down by contact if touched by an opponent. This rule gives room for interpretation and the referees on the field during the review believed that Dez Bryant was not yet a runner and had lost control of the ball when going to the ground. This call was so controversial because according to the eyes of the referee Dez Bryant did not catch the ball and yet countless people watching the game knew that he indeed caught the ball and had possession. The rule failed to recognize what had happened on the field as a catch and opened the door for renegotiating the rules which are still being ironed out today. Did he catch the ball? Well if the NFL competition committee released a statement after the game saying that it indeed should have been ruled a catch, then I believe that is enough evidence to prove that he did. What is heartbreaking for the Cowboys and their fans is the fact that the play in question played such a pivotal role in the outcome of the contest. If that play had been ruled a catch, as it was later confirmed, the Cowboys could have won that game and who knows, maybe even the Superbowl.