The original GOAT of kicking 🐐 · KICKERSCAMP: Kicking Skool

Oct 10 (edited) • General

The original GOAT of kicking 🐐

This is Jan Stenerud... at a recent practice at his alma mater Montana State. If you don't know about Jan, watch my video on him. He was an important part of my early kicking career and gave me the most motivational compliment I had ever received.

I was a college counselor at my father's kicking camp, which was really the only one of it's kind back in the summer 1984. Jan was a featured speaker and still playing in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings. As counselors, we "battled" after each camp session. I was one of the better kicker/punters there, but the collegiate star was All-American Ralf Mosiejenko (Michigan State). I was in awe of Ralf and we were good friends at the camp — so we starting kicking from the ground, (you could still use a tee in college then) just for fun. We didn't realize that my father, Jan and Cardinal great Jim Bakken were actively watching us.

Later, my father told me that both Jan and Jim thought I was a better NFL candidate because I got more elevation more quickly. That simple comment pushed my own assessment of how good I actually was. Sometimes, you get "I'm just a D3 kicker" in your head instead of "who cares about D1, D2 or D3.... just kick the ball."

As it turned out, Ralf did get drafted by the Chargers in the 4th round as a punter. I did not get selected in the draft, but did get signed by the Packers that same year (turning down a Vikings contract that would have pitted me against Jan Stenerud 😳). I figured that I could make every kick in the preseason and still get cut by the Vikes - TRUE... and I thought I could win the Packer job - FALSE. 😞

Ralf punted for 7 years in the NFL (Chargers, Redskins & 49ers).

I got a cup of coffee ☕, some swag 🧢 and a modest payday in Green Bay💰.

Sometimes it just doesn't work out the way you planned, but I am grateful to Jan, his story, his kicking lessons and his compliments.

_ _ _ _

Thanks to

@Matt Schroeder

for sharing this Instagram post from many weeks ago!

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