Wilhoit Punters & Kickers Excel at Camps

Nathan Renfro

The Summer is time for most kickers and punters to improve their technique and get ready for their high school season, but there is a whole different season for the top kicking specialists who are entering their senior year of high school.



Top high school kickers and punters will attend college universities and scholarship camps to get the necessary exposure to earn a scholarship. Last year Corey Acosta attended over 17 kicking camps, which led to a full scholarship to Southern Miss.



I am excited to announce that there are 4 punters from Tennessee that are ranked in the top 20 in the country for the 2011 class. Those punters are Nathan Renfro (5th), Spencer Roth (10th), Greg Colquitt (13th), and Clayton Williams (19th).



Also just recently two students of mine had a very successful kicking camp in Atlanta as Jackson Redditt and Landon Foster placed 1st and 2nd in the kicking competition.



It is exciting seeing success for kicking specialists in Tennessee!



Nathan Renfro (Brentwood Academy) is a talented senior punter who has exploded on the recruiting scene. I worked with him June 1-2 and I told his mother, Mitzi, that I thought that all Nathan needed was to get some exposure.



Nathan decided to camp at Clemson, Florida, and Tennessee camps and won the punting competitions at Clemson and Florida.


Finally, Nathan went to an exposure camp in Chicago a few weeks ago and he was so impressive at the camp that it catapulted him to being ranked the 5th best punter in the country!


I am very proud of Nathan and all he has and will accomplish in the future.

Check out his workout with me just a few weeks ago...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJCxUtCQwgU

Greg Colquitt

Greg Colquitt (Maryville High School) has had a very impressive Summer and certainly a busy one also! He has camped at numerous kicking camps including Tennessee, Clemson, Notre Dame, and attended a few other exposure camps.

All of his hard work has accumulated in some great exposure and I think he has put himself in a good position for a scholarship this Fall.

I worked with Greg this past week and he is really working hard on his fundamentals and might be one of the most polished punters in the senior class.

Spencer Roth

Spencer Roth (Knoxville Catholic) is a big kid with a lot of potential. I have worked with him quite a bit over the past two years and I am excited that his recruiting is picking up.

He received an offer from Kansas earlier this Spring and has been very competitive in kicking camps this Summer at Clemson and Florida.

I look forward to seeing how everything works out for him this season and in the future.

Clayton Williams

Clayton Williams (Evangelical Christian School) is probably one of the biggest sleepers in the 2011 punting class. He is a big kid who is capable of hitting a big ball!

I have worked with him a few times this Summer on polishing up his mechanics. He was not a starter on his team this past season due to some injuries but I expect his high school coaches to be very excited about having Clayton available for punts and placekicking this season.

Very happy for Clayton that he is healthy and I think college coaches should be keeping their eye on him this season!

Landon Foster

Landon Foster (Independence High School) did One on One Kicking Lessons with me earlier this Summer and placed 2nd this past week at a kicking camp in Atlanta and is ranked the 8th best kicker in the class of 2012.

Landon had one of the best transformations I have seen in my time coaching kickers. After the end of his first lesson he looked like an entirely different kicker! He is a very smart and athletic guy and I am looking forward to seeing his success over the next year.

Jackson Redditt

Jackson Redditt (Wilson Central High School) has had a very busy Summer as he has been to camps at Tennessee, Georgia, MTSU, NC State,Western Kentucky, and Virginia.

He has hit numerous 50 yard field goals at the kicking camps and has competed against some of the best kickers in the country. His hard work and performance is certainly paying off as he won a kicking competition in Atlanta just recently.

It has been a great Summer for kicking specialists in Tennessee and I am looking forward to doing anything I can to help them along their way!

Visit: www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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Bryson Rose On A Specialists Path

Note: Due to some previous obligations with kicking specialists I was not able to post an On A Specialists Path story last Monday. There are going to be some interesting stories over the next few weeks so stay tuned for many more blogs!


Being a kicker in major college football can be quite a challenge for a first year starter and especially when you are kicking in one of the premier conferences in the country, the SEC.

Bryson Rose is in a heated competition at Ole Miss to try and replace four year starting kicker Joshua Shene. In this story Bryson talks about how he got to this point and what lies ahead in his quest to be the starting kicker.

This is Bryson Rose On ‘A Specialists Path’.

Bryson had a strong soccer background before high school and like so many kids that age he was constantly playing in games and tournaments and eventually he was ready to try something a little different.

“I played soccer growing up and just got burned out,” Bryson said. “I played a little wide receiver my freshman year of high school and started to pick up kicking. My sophomore year they moved me up to varsity so that’s when I started to get more into it.”

Bryson certainly did get more involved with kicking and had an outstanding senior season that culminated in him hitting field goals of 51 and 54 yards and booming 85 percent of his kickoffs in the end zone.

Even with all the success he had in high school he was not able to obtain a scholarship directly out of high school, but he seems to be very pleased with where he landed.

“Out of high school I got attention from a lot of schools,” Bryson said. “Up until my senior year I thought I was going to go to NC State but many things fell through.

"So I went to a few schools one of them being Ole Miss. When I came for a visit I fell in love with the campus and the environment. I really liked the coaching staff and they offered me a chance to come play.”

In 2008 Bryson was redshirted and backed up four year starting kicker Joshua Shene.

“Josh Shene has had a big influence on me,” Bryson said. “I have learned the ropes through him. When I redshirted my freshman year I got to travel with the team that was huge for me as far as watching Josh to see how he prepares before a game.”

Last year he got a brief taste of what it is like to play college football as he kicked two extra points against Southeastern Louisiana. He enjoyed the opportunity but he certainly wants to do more than just a few extra points.

“I have many goals going into the season”, Bryson said. “I would like to be the starter going into the first game.”

To win the starting spot Bryson will have to hold off kickoff specialist Andrew Ritter and David Hankins. During Spring Practice he was running with the first team but he knows that a few stray kicks can change things quickly.

“Spring practice is very competitive, people are fighting for jobs”, Bryson said. “The one thing I have learned is make the best of your opportunity. When you have a chance to step in you better make the most of it.”

Bryson has tried to be prepared for his opportunity by seeking out the proper coaches this off season. He went to see Coach Doug Blevins and worked extensively with Coach Zauner.

I had the chance to work with him for three days in June for Coach Zauner’s Pro Development Camp and I was impressed with his ability.

He is a very consistent and detail oriented person, which typically translates into great kickers.

Bryson has dreams of walking through “The Grove” as the starting kicker at Ole Miss and he is certainly not talking this opportunity lightly.

“Being part of an SEC program is amazing”, Bryson said. “Every week is like playing in the Super Bowl. 80,000 plus fans in one stadium is crazy. It’s been a great experience for me but I have learned one thing and that it is all a business.”

Over the next month he plans to be all “business” and attempt to secure his goal of being the starting kicker for Ole Miss for the opening game on September 4th against Jacksonville State.

Visit: www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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Specialist's Path Justin Medlock

James Wilhoit's On A Specialists Path

The acronym for the NFL is “not for long” and that is certainly the case with kicking specialists and there is no better example of that than the story of Justin Medlock.

Just last week when I emailed Justin about doing this story I congratulated him on getting signed with the Detroit Lions and later that day he responded by saying that he had been cut just a few days earlier. This is the life of an NFL kicker or punter.

Justin and I came out of college the same year and we have talked on quite a few occasions while we went through the NFL Draft process. I have witnessed the ups and downs he has endured over the last four years in chasing his dream of being an NFL kicker.

After a few years of going through the same journey as Justin, I saw my path was to be a kicking coach but I have always watched the specialists from my draft class with much interest including Justin.

This is Justin Medlock On A Specialists Path.

Justin got a late start as a kicker but made the most of his opportunities.

“I decided that I wanted to start kicking when I was a junior in high school”, Justin said.” I actually started thinking about it when I was a sophomore but coach denied me to be just be a kicking specialist so I continued to play soccer during that time.

“But in my junior year I decided that I could get a scholarship to play football. Problem for me was my high school won only one game and we only kicked like 6 field goals a year so I had to do some traveling to get noticed.”

Justin didn’t let his lack of exposure deter him from getting noticed as he was very successful in the kicking camp circuit and signed a full scholarship to UCLA.

After achieving the goal of a college scholarship Justin could have been content with a full ride to an elite academic institution but that was not the case. He saw an opportunity to continue his career in kicking and was drafted in the 5th round by the Kansas City Chiefs.

“Actually the goal for me was to just get to college”, Justin said. “But my junior year I realized that I had enough talent to pursue taking it to the professional level. I would say that in my career there have been many bumps along the road but I still continue to think that I am good enough to one day kick in the NFL again. Anyone that knows the NFL business knows that you need a little luck on your side and so far I think I haven't gotten the best luck.”

Part of making an NFL team can just be about timing and making the most of your opportunities. Justin was a high draft pick with the Chiefs but was not able to capitalize on the chance to be the Chiefs opening day starter and was released following the first game of the season.

After being released from the Chiefs, Justin has had stints with the St. Louis Rams, Toronto Argonauts, Washington Redskins, and just recently the Detroit Lions.

You could never fully describe the experience of being cut from an NFL team until you have experienced yourself. The highs and lows of the NFL were really starting to take their toll on Justin as he was emotionally drained from the process.

I think that every successful person in life has had someone there to help them along the way and for Justin it just happened to be Detroit Lions punter Nick Harris.

"Honestly there has been many difficult things in my life that I have overcome but athletically I believe that when I got cut from the Chiefs I was really down and upset with myself”, Justin said. “It felt like I couldn't kick well in my opinion for about 5 or 6 months. Then all of a sudden I started training with Nick Harris from the Lions and got my mind and game back.”

“I ended up signing with the Rams so I got to see how much my game had changed. I felt like I was kicking the best I have ever kicked but the problem was that I never got to kick a field goal in a game which means basically nothing”, Justin said. “I think the first time you get released is always a good learning experience and I have not let it get to me since.”

After getting released from the Rams Justin was signed by the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL and thought it was a really positive experience.

“I honestly loved Canada”, Justin said. “I thought they treated me just like any other athlete on the team but from a business aspect it is different because they would prefer a Canadian. Part of how an American can get to the CFL is by luck and by being a combo guy.

“In Toronto all I wanted to do was play because I hadn't played in a long time. So when I got to make kicks in front of crowds and know how much work I had put into my game was just lots of fun.”

After last season’s time with Toronto, Justin was signed by the Washington Redskins and had a real legitimate chance of winning the job until giving way to second year kicker Graham Gano.

Once Justin was released from Washington he was quickly picked up by the Detroit Lions and just was quickly released again.

When I think of Justin’s path as a kicking specialist it reminds me of the Theodore Roosevelt quote:

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or when the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust, sweat, and blood; who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Justin is certainly not a man on the sidelines in life and I hope that his trials and tribulations will eventually lead to long NFL career!

Visit: www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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Media Coverage Across Tennessee

It has been a busy week as I have gotten great response with my kicking lessons. I have Google Analytics on my website and it shows how many people are looking at the site and where they are located. It has been neat seeing that I am getting followers from New York, Milwaukee, Wisconsin all the way to Fountain Hills, Arizona.

These two articles in the local papers in Memphis and Nashville have really helped out the site.

Check out these two articles that were written about my kicking lessons in Tennessee.

On Sunday the Memphis Commercial Appeal posted this article written by Ron Higgins:

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jul/04/wilhoit-pays-it-forward/


Also, there was a great article on Tuesday by Jeremy Acree in the Nashville Tennessean:

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100706/SPORTS0601/7060335/2196/sports

Looking forward to a busy month of July!

Visit: www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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Specialist's Path' Choosing A Coach

James Wilhoit's On A Specialists Path

Being On A Specialists Path can encompass many different situations that arise for a kicking specialist. One major aspect of a kicking specialists’ path is choosing the proper kicking coach.

Recently, a situation was brought to my attention which went directly to this point. It happened when a parent –whose son I was coaching- called me to talk about a conversation he had with a former professional kicker who was now also giving kicking lessons. And in fact, we were both coaching his son.

As it turned out, when the parent told this other coach he was taking lessons from me, the coach expressed his concerns about my coaching style.

This is something the parent found disturbing, but –for a few reasons- I actually found this quite interesting.

I found it interesting as I have never worked with this kicking coach (the way I’ve worked with Coach Zauner), nor have I ever discussed my coaching style –or coaching philosophy- with him. So I was curious, how could someone, whom I’ve never worked with or discussed my ‘style’ with, could be ‘concerned’ about my style, or method of coaching.

What did he know about my style? How did he come to his conclusion? Was this based on some kind of research he did into my style? Or was it something he just pulled out of ‘thin air’ to have an opinion about.

My guess is it is just the latter. An opinion not based in the facts.

I also found it interesting because it hit on the topic of how difficult it can be for a kicking specialist, or the parent of a kicking specialist, to find the correct kicking coach to guide them on their specialist path.

The fact was, this parent, like all parents, only want the best for their son when it comes to developing as a kicking specialist. The same is true for kicking specialists who are on this ‘path’ alone. That is why they devote all the time and energy into making sure whomever they work with –regardless the level- is the best they can be working with.

And I have to say at this point, I felt bad that this parent, with whom I had developed a solid working relationship with (and with his son) now –because of someone’s opinion- had to be concerned he was doing the right thing for his son.

I assured him he was. I also assured him I understood exactly where he was coming from.

When I was developing as a kicking specialist, I went to numerous camps across the country when I was in high school and college trying to find the proper coaching. I was still unable to receive it until much later in my career. Sadly, I didn’t find it until I was out of college.

And this was in fact, one of the ‘key’ reasons I decided to go into coaching, rather than pursue a career in professional football. Once I did get proper coaching, and then saw the results of it, I couldn’t help but wonder how differently my career might have been if I had received it in high school or college.

But I didn’t. So one of the goals that drives me in my coaching is to make sure any kicking specialist I work with does not have to have the same ‘what if’ question I had.

So to that end, here are a few thoughts I would like to share with both kicking specialists, and the parents of kicking specialists, as they are looking for, or choosing, a kicking coach.

I believe that there are quite a few things you should look for on your quest for a kicking coach. One of the first things is kicking philosophy. I have heard from some kicking coaches that they believe that kickers should kick with what feels natural, which can often be a mistake.

When I was in high school and college I use to go at the ball as hard as I could and would swing around the ball. This felt the most natural to me but it also led to numerous groin injuries and I could only get so far on physical talent alone.

The biggest eye opener to me was getting signed by the Baltimore Ravens and competing with Matt Stover (pictured above). Stover was 39 years old at the time but I watched him kick 50 yard one step kicks with ease and kick his kickoffs to the goal line from only 5 yards away. After two months with the Ravens I was determined that there was a better way to kick and it certainly wasn’t what I felt was natural. In the years since getting released by the Ravens I have studied kickers and learned that 95% of them kick more like Matt Stover than James Wilhoit.

The next is value. What kind of value are you getting for your money? One parent previously mentioned to me about a past experience they had with another kicking coach. They said that the kicking coach came to the field with only his cell phone and keys.

Over the past few years I have learned the value of video when working with specialists. I believe I am a good on the field coach but I am much better with the assistance of slow motion video. I believe that a kicking specialist should always leave the field with something tangible in his hand like an evaluation sheet or a DVD. I give every specialist a DVD copy of their lesson and teach them what to look for when they are watching themselves on video.

Finally there is coaching style. Every coach has a different way of reaching a kicking specialist. I believe in incorporating sport psychology in all my lessons. Having a Masters Degree in Sports Psychology, and being of similar age to most specialists that I coach, I believe has given me a unique perspective to coaching kicking specialists.

And the ‘mental’ side of the game is a key part of the game. Just ask any kicker who has missed a field goal under pressure.

It is one thing to kick a field goal with a mechanical holder with no one on the field, but there will actually be many more factors when competing in an actual game setting. Imagine trying to kick in front of 100,000 screaming fans on a Saturday or kicking in front of an NFL General Manager and Special Teams Coach, which could result in getting a contract worth $400,000 a year. I have experience both of those situations.

Kicking specialists and their parents will be seeking out the proper coaching to aid them on their path as a kicking specialist and it is important to look at kicking philosophy, value, and coaching style when finding the proper kicking coach.

As a final note, regardless what coach a kicking specialist, or the parent of a kicking specialist chooses to work with, there will always be someone out there who is willing to ‘trash’ them for no good reason at all. That is just a reality.

If the ‘trash’ talk is based in facts –and it’s not just someone’s opinion- then the kicking specialist, or the parent of a kicking specialist, should take a ‘hard’ look at the coach to insure they are with the right person to help them reach their goal.

There are things they can do ‘up front’ to ensure they have the right coach. They should make a few phone calls; they should take a look at the coaches ‘coaching’ background; and they should listen to –or read- testimonials. Once they have done the research, they should get started with the coach and see if the coaching is actually helping. Because THAT is what it all comes down to; results.

However, if the ‘trash’ talk is exactly that –just trash talk- then a kicking specialist, or a parent of a kicking specialist should just let the ‘trash’ talk fall to deaf ears so they can stay focused on ‘their specialist path’.

Visit: www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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