Why can't punters be kickers or vice versa

Kicking and punting is a similar skill set. Why can't there be somebody who is good at both? I'm sure they are out there. I bring this up cause niners signed a kicker today and that got me thinking and I rememeber that when Akers got hurt our back up kicker( commentator said this but I can't confirm) was sopoaga. For kickoffs and extra points. Also that because Akers was hurt they could not kick a field goals. I'm sure I'm thinking why can't andy lee fill in he has a strong leg and I'm sure he has kicked before.

This would also save a roster spot and open up a game day roster spot.

about the only thing "similar" with the skill set between a punter and kicker is that they hit the ball with their foot.

All of the techniques, processes, etc are vastly different.

There are some that I'm sure can do both ok, but both are very precise skill sets that take a lot of training and practice to perfect. In the NFL, merely being "good" gets you cut. There can not be enough said for the impact a good kicking game and punting game have to a football team, so I tend to think that two roster spots for specialists is probably worth it vs. 1 roster spot for someone who maybe isn't truly a master of either skill set.

my $0.02

Originally posted by 49erha:
Kicking and punting is a similar skill set. Why can't there be somebody who is good at both? I'm sure they are out there. I bring this up cause niners signed a kicker today and that got me thinking and I rememeber that when Akers got hurt our back up kicker( commentator said this but I can't confirm) was sopoaga. For kickoffs and extra points. Also that because Akers was hurt they could not kick a field goals. I'm sure I'm thinking why can't andy lee fill in he has a strong leg and I'm sure he has kicked before.

This would also save a roster spot and open up a game day roster spot.

Because having a specialist who is at the absolute top of what he does is more important than having an extra RB sitting on the bench every week who will never see the field anyway.

Also because if one gets injured in a game the other one can at least passingly fill in for a quarter or two in a way that nobody else on the team can.

Heck, sometimes teams even carry a punter and TWO kickers (one for kickoffs, one for FGs).

Back in the 50's and 60's Don Chandler punted and kicked for the Giants and Packers, as I recall he was quite good at both.

One job kick it high and far. The other job kick it far and accurate.
Punters can kick FG's but at a worse rate than Akers in the clutch.
Kickers can punt. But at a worse net than that bumb on the rams.

Worth a roster spot?

They are very different techniques... punting and kicking. Kickers must constantly be practicing one specific skill to retain muscle memory, timing, etc. There are quite a few college kickers out there that do both, but doing both at a professional level is exceptionally rare.

It it kind of like an OL that can also play DL. That is very common in high-school and not unheard of in college (especially at D1AA and D2 schools where they don't have as many scholarships to offer). But techniques are very different. Even though a player may posses the physical qualities necessary to do both well, mastery of both techniques is very rare.

Just import a bunch of Aussie Rules kickers and their hot wives...

/thread

I'll dig it up, I saw the other day on NFL Network a team in the NFL currently has a guy that does both. I can't freaking remember who or what team. You see it in HS a lot and college on occasion. Although Soap was listed as our backup K I'm almost positive Lee would have handled the duties had Akers been unable to kick at any time during a game. When Lee hurt his hand, Akers punted if that means anything.

I really don't have any experience kicking/punting so I'm just guessing.

BUT based on watching football since the early 60's, I can see that they are definitely different skill sets since every team has one of each. In today's cap driven rosters - if a guy could do both effectively that's create more cap room.

So, I guess there is little skill-coorelation between the 2 positions.

A goalkeeper from English Premier League may be able to do it. They punt and kick the ball down field.

Also a Rugby player has to do both.

I don't wanna sound like a smart ass...don't take this the wrong way....


its the same reason why Willis can't replace Smith...they are both Lbers

Or Crabs can't replace Gore...


punters are normally long .....high strength guys... if they had control they would have been kickers.

You see it in college some kickers and punters interchanging kinda like WRs that cant catch become Cbs

Any one remember Tom Tupa? QB/K/P

A lot of guys could do both, but not both at a pro level. Another reason is if your 1 kicker gets hurt, you're screwed for the rest of the game with nobody able to do a serviceable job.

Why can't pitchers hit? The world may never know.

Originally posted by RishikeshA:
Back in the 50's and 60's Don Chandler punted and kicked for the Giants and Packers, as I recall he was quite good at both.

Good lord. Can you tell me...how revolutionary was it when george westinghouse invented the air brake for the train?

they can. in the cfl its a pretty common practice although it used to be more common that it is today. i think 3 or 4 of the 8 teams use the same guy to punt and kick.