Kickers and the bad rap

It seems almost every time I interview a kicker, I have to ask: Are they as flaky as people say?

Most of the ones I’ve known seemed pretty normal.

When I interviewed Utah Blaze placekicker Kyle Brotzman, this week, he said, “We kind of get a bad rap, but there’s flaky people in all different positions, not just kickers.”

Fair enough. Look at Chad Ochocinco.

Brotzman continued, “I know we get criticized for kicking and that it’s the only job we do, but a lot of guys only have one job to do, and that is (for instance) catching a football. I’m not saying they’re the same, but I think kickers come from an athletic background, too. I played other sports growing up, soccer, baseball, basketball.”

He went on to say he played prep basketball and soccer and didn’t start kicking in football until his junior year in high school.

“For us to be called non-athletes just because we kick a ball or miss one here or there, I think that’s a little ridiculous.”

That got me thinking of some of the kicker columns I’ve written. For instance, the one I did when Louie Sakoda was drilling kicks for the Utes a few years back. deseretnews.com

It’s not just fans who think kickers can be, well, unusual. Take for instance former Utah coach Ron McBride. He actually covered his eyes sometimes when his kickers took the field. deseretnews.com

Then there was ex-BYU kicker Owen Pochman, who ended up dating a Playboy Playmate of the Year. deseretnews.com

What that says about flakiness, I’m not entirely sure.