Day 46- Results from Aguiar and Husted Combine

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 Louie Aguiar and Michael Husted's PRO Camp started last Saturday and concluded yesterday. The camp is for five days and I am extremely pleased with my performance.

On December 4th I started Coach Renner's Training Program and in a little more than 100 days I was able to compete with some of the best kickers in the world.

After the camp was over I had a good sense of where I am at as a kicker. My kickoffs were very solid throughout the week with my average being approximately 3 yards deep in the endzone with a 4 second hang time.

My field goals were solid all week except for a little struggle on Sunday's charting. I came back on Monday though and made 9 of 10 field goals and had a solid last day of the combine.

Like I always tell my kicking students, it is a great idea to get in front of other people and compete. I learned who the talented free agent kickers are and where I stood against them. There is a difference between kicking by yourself and kicking under pressure.

Being a professional kicker is more than just hang times and distances. It is about knowing your craft of kicking and being mentally prepared for every situation possible. This is why it can sometimes take kickers three years out of college before they are ready for PRO football.

The next stage of my Specialists Path is to continue training for PRO football but to start consulting with more kickers and punters in Tennessee. My goal in life is to be in the game of kicking and I believe that this process of training for PRO football as a kicker has made me a better coach and a stronger person.

Check out my video blog on Aguiar and Husted's Combine at:

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Day 45-Aguiar and Husted Combine

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After following Coach Renner's Training Program, this past weekend I qualified for Louie Aguiar and Michael Husted's PRO Camp. This camp is for Free Agent and College Senior Kicking Specialists who are looking to play professional football.

Over the years some of the top kicking specialists from this combine have been signed by numerous NFL teams. These type of camps are the best shot for a player to be seen and get an opportunity in PRO football as a kicking specialist.

The camp is run by Aguiar and Husted but they are assisted by an all star staff of coaches in former NFL long snapper Kelly Goodburn and former NFL kicker Mike Hollis, who conducts kicking lessons in Jacksonville, Florida.

This week I was able to interview Louie Aguiar and Michael Husted, former NFL players who host this event, and also Coach Mike Stock. Coach Stock was a Special Teams Coach in the NFL for 18 years including just previously with the Green Bay Packers.

Check out some brief clips of my interviews from Aguiar, Husted, and Stock on my website. Each of their video interviews will be posted in their entirety next week.

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Day 44-Thoughts on NFL Kickoff Change

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On Tuesday the NFL decided to change kickoffs from the 30 yard line to the 35 yard line. This has been a well talked about issue over the past few days.

It is amazing to see the different things that have happened on my Specialists Path, but this is certainly an interesting development. The change in the kickoff rule will obviously give kicking specialists a much better opportunity to kick kickoffs for touchbacks.

Last year NFL kickers kicked approximately 16 percent of there kickoffs for touchbacks and there are some early projections that say that statistic should rise to possibly 40 percent.

During my kicking career at Tennessee I kicked from the 35 yard line and after training from the 30 yard line for the past few years it will be a big confidence boost to have those extra 5 yards.

I personally don't believe that the rule will have as much effect as people are projecting. If you would like to hear my thoughts on the rule change than go to my http://www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com/ .

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Day 43- NFL Player's Thoughts

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During one of my recent workouts I had a chance to meet current NFL player Dewayne Lewis, who is a cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals. Dewayne caught some of my kickoffs from my workout and I got a chance to talk with him afterwards.

Being a kicking specialist in the NFL is not just about kicking. It is about handling yourself as a professional and doing the little things to fit in with the team. Dewayne is a first year player for the Bengals and was on injured reserve this past year.

He is one of the fastest players in the NFL as he had a recorded 40 time of 4.28 second here is a link to  Dewayne Lewis in Action . In this interview he talks about his experience in the NFL last year and what it takes to be a professional.

I was very fortunate to be able to talk with Dewayne and what he said certainly hit home for me. It reminded me of my time in Baltimore with the Ravens. I learned some valuable lessons from watching Matt Stover and from being around the rest of the team that year.

You never know who might come in your path and I just want to thank Dewayne for his time and insight. This is just another awesome thing that happens when you are on your Specialists Path. 

Check out DeWayne Lewis' interview at:

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Day 42- Combine Preparation 2

***Check my Archived Specialists Path Blogs on YouTube

Yesterday was my 2nd Combine Preparation workout. This weekend will be the qualifying for the Free Agent Kicking Combine and the combine itself will be a week from today.


There are kicking standards that the combine has for qualifying and so right now I am preparing to meet those standards. Kickoffs need to be to the 5 yard line with 3.85 hang time and field goals need to made at a high percentage. Right now the standard in the NFL is above 80% on field goals to just be average.

During my kicking workout yesterday I made all 10 of my field goals that ranged from 38 to 50 yards. Also, I charted 5 kickoffs which all made the necessary standard that is needed for the combine. My best kick was a 77 yard kick with 4.25 hang time.

The rest of the week is about slowing down on the kicking and getting physically and mentally prepared for  the combine. This is just one step of many on my Specialists Path. 

Check out my 2nd combine preparation workout at:

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Day 41- Combine Preparation

***Check my Archived Specialists Path Blogs on YouTube

This week is an important week for my training because I am now one week from the Free Agent Kicking Combine. This weekend I will be qualifying for the combine on Wednesday March 30th.

There are kicking standards that the combine has for qualifying and so right now I am preparing to meet those standards. Kickoffs need to be to the 5 yard line with 3.85 hang time and field goals need to made at a high percentage. Right now the standard in the NFL is above 80% on field goals to just be average.

During my kicking workout yesterday I made 14 of 15 field goals that ranged from 35 to 55 yards. My one miss was by a foot from 47 yards. My training from the side angle field goals has really helped me with fine tuning my kicking accuracy.

The rest of the week is all about performing well at the combine. This is just one step of many on my Specialists Path. 

Check out my combine preparation workout at:

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Day 40- Trusting My Swing

As I continue on my training one of the most important parts of the process is TRUST. I have done the proper kicking drills and training for the past few months and now it is about taking it to the field.

Coach Renner challenged me this week to do full approach kicks from a tight angle. This angle can be intimidating at first because it is such a small angle to make a kick but it forced me to focus in on my technique.

The video (above) is from a workout I had with Coach Renner back in December. I have come a long way since that time and I am excited about performing at the combine at the end of the week.

Check out my side angle kicking workout at:

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Day 38- "Back" in Alignment

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During my kicking career I have learned some tricks of the trade to stay healthy. I was 2nd All Time at the University of Tennessee for consecutive games started. I never missed a game in 4 seasons at Tennessee as I played in 50 consecutive games.

The team chiropractor at The University of Tennessee is Dr. Michael Petty (pictured above) and he did a fantastic job of keeping me healthy. He also has a general practice in Knoxville and was one of the main reasons I believe in chiropractic care.

Quite a few professional sports stars use chiropractors and massage. As I continue on my goal of being a PRO kicker, I think it is important to use every advantage possible to reach my full potential as a kicker and I believe that chiropractic care is certainly beneficial.

Since I have been in Arizona I was able to connect with the Palmer Center for Healing and Dr. Alan Palmer. He consults with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Coyotes, and the San Francisco Giants.

Just today I even ran into Augie Ojeda (pictured above) who has nine years of Major League experience and graduated from the best university in the country...The University of Tennessee! I have run into Augie numerous times when he is getting a chiropractic adjustment along with other Major League players who are here for Spring Training.

Check out my visit for massage and chiropractor care at:

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Day 37- Taking the Right Angle

***Check my Archived Specialists Path Blogs on YouTube

Coach Renner's Training Program has been unbelievable in my development as a kicker. What I like about the program is that it gives you a drill set that is going to make you better.

Each one of Coach Renner's core kicking drills has a purpose and to execute the drills successfully you have to have the proper kicking technique.

After working with Coach Renner this weekend in Chapel Hill, he suggested I focus on one of his core drills to make some small adjustments to my field goal technique. I worked on Side Angle Field Goals for the entire day yesterday and I could really start to notice the improvement in just one day.

These are drills I teach to each one of my kicking students when I am back doing kicking lessons in Tennessee.

Check out my side angle field goal demonstration at:

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Day 36- Ice Bath for Recovery

As I continue on my Specialists Path towards my goal of playing PRO football as a kicker, I really want to focus on recovering before each kicking workout.

Sitting in an ice bath is something that can be very beneficial for a kicker's recovery and something that I try to do when I am sore.

This weekend I had a very successful time working with Coach Renner. We did a lot of kicking so that he could make the necessary changes that I need before the Free Agent Combine at the end of the month. Because I kicked so much this past weekend, I needed to use an ice bath to aid in my recovery.

Check out my ice bath video at:

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Day 35- Achieving THE Standard

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This weekend I went to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to work with Coach Renner one more time before the Free Agent Combine at the end of the month.

Over the past few months I have been following Coach Renner's Training Program with the goal of being a PRO kicker.

Coach Renner has coached numerous current NFL kickers and punters over his distinguished coaching career and he knows the standards it takes to make an NFL team as a kicker. He explained to me early on that my goal to be a PRO kicker is to average the 5 yard line on kickoffs with 4 second hang time.

After countless reps on kickoffs I am now reaching the standards it takes to be considered for a professional team. This weekend I averaged 1 yard deep in the endzone with a 4.09 hang time.

I am pleased with my progress so far but this is just the first step in the process...the next step is to perform at workouts and to get the proper exposure to make a PRO football team as a kicker.

Check out my brief kickoff video at:

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Day 33- Fountain Hills Bike Tour

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Fountain Hills, Arizona is where I am training on my Path to PRO football and it is filled with beautiful scenery including mountains, hills, and holds the world's 4th tallest fountain.

Over the past two years I have been out here working with Coach Zauner and when I decided to train for PRO football as a kicker I couldn't think of a better place to live and train for the Winter.

I want others to see how beautiful it is here so I decided to make a brief video of me touring the area on my bike. Here is a link to the video link .

During this phase of Coach Renner's Training Program , I am kicking 4 days a week and so Wednesday's are my big off day. Over the past few weeks I have experienced a lot of the Phoenix/Scottsdale area.

A few weeks ago I went and played golf in Scottsdale. The greater Phoenix/Scottsdale area has over 250 + golf courses in the area including the famous TPC Scottsdale where the Phoenix Open is held every year.

The Cactus League of Spring Training is going on all around the area including in Mesa, Tempe, Surprise, and Scottsdale. I went to an Angels vs. Rockies game in Tempe just the other day (picture below).

This is the perfect time to be out here in Arizona and even though I am training hard towards my goal...that doesn't mean I can't enjoy myself too!

Check out my video of Fountain Hills at:

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Day 32- Kicking Workout

***Check my Archived Specialists Path Blogs on YouTube

As I continue on my Specialists Path I am looking to improve on each kicking performance and I certainly feel I am improving.

On Monday I kicked well in winds as high as 35 miles an hour and yesterday I went 13 of 15 on field goals from 40-49 yards.

What I am really focused on is my control of the flight of the ball. I am starting to control ball flight and I am excited for each workout.

Check out my video workout at:

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Day 31- Preparing for Kicking Competition

***Check my Archived Specialists Path Blogs on YouTube

As I continue on my Specialists Path to become a PRO kicker I have started to really focus on preparing for competition. Coach Renner's Training Program is systematically preparing me to be ready for my chance at a PRO contract.

It is one thing to kick with a mechanical holder on a field all by yourself and it is quite another to be kicking in front of professional coaches with a PRO contract on the line.

Preparing for a kicking competition is something that is vital to success. I have always loved the quote "chance favors the prepared mind" and if you aren't preparing for success than you are preparing for failure.

Some of the things to take into account during a competition are:

1) Format of Competition: How many kicks do you get at the workout whether it is field Goals or kickoffs

2) Preparing for Competition: It is important to compete against someone else before you go to a big workout. It is difficult to replicate competition

3) Conditions of Workout: Is it a grass field or turf field. Have you prepared for windy conditions or rain? All these type of conditions are possible and having practice in them will give you an advantage

Check out my video of preparing for competition at:

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Being Coached and Coaching Others

***Check my Archived Specialists Path Blogs on YouTube

During my career in kicking I have had a very different perspective than most kickers and kicking coaches because I have had the experience of getting coached and coaching others.

It has really been interesting for me because after my career at the University of Tennessee and my first attempt at PRO football I had given up my career as a kicker. I had decided that I was destined to be a coach and I was more than happy with that path.

What made me give PRO football a second thought was because of the experience I had received from coaching and the ability to have Coach Renner has my personal coach. This was a very unique situation and a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Everyone needs a coach. Even the best golfers in the world rely on Butch Harmon and Hank Haney to keep their swing in check. This is no different for kickers and punters.

As I continue on my Specialists Path I will be pursuing my dream of being a PRO kicker, but I haven't forgotten about my kicking business in Tennessee.

I love to help kickers and punters reach their goals of being successful at kicking. After I finish the free agent combine at the end of the month I will be coming directly back to do kicking lessons in Tennessee the next two weekends.

I am not sure how my path will go, but coaching will never be far away from my heart. If I was fortunate enough to play 10 years in the NFL I would still want to come back to Tennessee and do kicking lessons.

So as I chase my dream of suiting up for a PRO football team I still love the idea of coaching others on their path to that same dream!

Check out my video of being coached and coaching others:

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Day 29- Uncertainty in NFL

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As I started this journey of training for PRO football as a kicker I knew that there would be some bumps on the road and the possible NFL Lockout is one of those bumps.

The NFL players and NFL owners are taking a 24 hour extension to try and get a deal done before the owners "lock out" the players.

Respected NFL sports writer Adam Shefter says "that the two sides are roughly $25 million apart per team, which comes out to a $750-800 million gap that must be closed."

I will briefly be following the situation, but the truth is that I can only control what I have control over which is my training.

The UFL and CFL are two great football leagues and are other paths to professional football. I will be looking to attend a free agent combine at the end of the month and then see what my options will be for the future.

Until I get signed by a professional team I will continue doing my other passion, which is coaching kickers and punters.

Check my thoughts about the NFL Lockout at:

www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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Day 28- Much Needed Day Off

***Check my Archived Specialists Path Blogs on YouTube

Coach Renner's Training Program pushes you physically and mentally to be the best kicking specialists you can be. I know how hard I have worked over the past few months and that is why I take advantage of my off days.

Last week I went and played golf and this week I took a more relaxing option. I went and got an hour massage. I started getting massages while I was at Tennessee. A message well help get blood flow into the muscles to promote a quicker recovery.

After finishing my massage I went over to my condos pool and hot tub. It was 75 degrees here in Arizona. Sorry if I am teasing anyone who is in cold weather right now!

Finally, I ended the night by going to a friends' house and watching American Idol. I have really started to enjoy watching the talent on the show and it is fun playing a few games of pool after the show is over.

It is certainly important to work hard when training for PRO football as a kicker, but it is always important to enjoy your days off.

Check my video of my day off at:

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Day 27- Kicking Workout

***Check my Archived Specialists Path Blogs on YouTube

As I continue to follow Coach Renner's Training Program I am set with new challenges.

Last week was my first time to be back on field goal posts and my kicks were from 30-39 yards. Out of 75 charted kicks I made 66 of them for an 88 % rate.

Hitting a good percentage is great to see on paper but more importantly I am searching for the correct field goal swing. This next week will be important for me to fine tune my swing and work on the smaller details.

Yesterday started my new workout which was from 40-49 yards. I was pleased with the result of making 12 of 15 but I am always striving to improve. I look to improve that position and get close to mastering the flight of the ball.

Take a look at the workout and see what you think...

Check my video at:

www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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