SoFlaJets Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 BY MARCUS HENRY Newsday Staff Writer June 30, 2006 Even the most talented athletes need direction at some point in their career. And Manhasset's Zac Koufakis is no exception. Koufakis, a kicker who will be entering his sophomore year in the fall, turned heads when he kicked a 47-yard field goal in practice last season. "I heard everyone on the varsity screaming after I kicked it," said Koufakis, who played on the JV team. "But I've kicked a 50-yarder while practicing, too." His powerful leg notwithstanding, even Koufakis knows he has a lot of work to do before he gets to where he wants to be. To that end, Koufakis' father, Steven, arranged for him to work out with Jets kicker Mike Nugent at the Jets' Hofstra practice facility yesterday. "I never thought something like this would happen. I can't describe it," Koufakis said of working with Nugent. "He was very helpful." Nugent, the Jets' second-round draft pick in 2005, was impressed with Koufakis' leg strength. "I think he looked great out there," Nugent said. "The biggest thing is that he wants to do it. He really wants to get better and help his team out." Koufakis' talent for kicking was realized at an early age, his father said. "Since he was 5 years old he played soccer," Steven Koufakis said. "He's been a soccer player his whole life. "But you could tell he was a natural when he played football for the first time. He picked it up right away." It's widely known that a vast majority of kickers in football started as soccer players, something Nugent believes is a plus. Although soccer is a big help, making the jump to football usually requires a number of adjustments. "Coming from soccer is probably the best way to do it, because it gives you that motion you need," Nugent said. "But it's a different ball and a different situation, so the approach does change a little." As for the upcoming football season, Koufakis isn't likely to start because senior Phil Kaligiros will handle most of the kicking duties. But Koufakis, who didn't start playing football until the eighth grade and hopes to kick in college, is willing to wait his turn. "[Kaligiros] is a great kicker and he's probably going Division-I," Koufakis said. "I'll be behind him [next season] and I'll be ready to go when they need me." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitonti Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 how does a manhasset father arrange to have his kid work out with Nugent? no wait don't answer that question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cant Hackett Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Is a high school sophomore going to be Nugent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#90 Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Can we sign the kid? Nugent was such a BIG dissapointment last year. He was such a weapon in college and then turned into noodle leg in the pro's. What was up with that???????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitonti Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Can we sign the kid? Nugent was such a BIG dissapointment last year. He was such a weapon in college and then turned into noodle leg in the pro's. What was up with that???????? Nugent didn't dissapoint me - he started out slow but picked it up down the stretch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Nugent didn't dissapoint me - he started out slow but picked it up down the stretch. agree,, i have no problem with Nugent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny green balls Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 agree,, i have no problem with Nugent i think he's serviceable but was he worth a 2nd round pick? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 i think he's serviceable but was he worth a 2nd round pick? doesnt matter anymore does it,, we got him,,mangini will keep him for a year,, then see if his salary warrants his talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffyD Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 i think he's serviceable but was he worth a 2nd round pick? Who gives a sh!t at this point, he's our kicker, he's solid and there's nothing else to worry about. You need to get off your doom and gloom campaign, seriously bro it's becoming transparent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Who gives a sh!t at this point, he's our kicker, he's solid and there's nothing else to worry about. You need to get off your doom and gloom campaign, seriously bro it's becoming transparent. its a fair question,, many scribes questioned that at the time,, maybe you need to lighten up ,, relax this weekend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny green balls Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Who gives a sh!t at this point, he's our kicker, he's solid and there's nothing else to worry about. You need to get off your doom and gloom campaign, seriously bro it's becoming transparent. Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows, Everything that's wonderful is what I feel when we're together, Brighter than a lucky penny, When you're near the rain cloud disappears, dear, And I feel so fine just to know that you are mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
124 Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 What dissapointed you about Nugent? That he was 0-2 from 50+? Get over it. Even the best miss some 50 yarders. He was a rookie and in a crazy stadium to kick field goals. Comeon guys, everyone has to get used to The Meadowlands. He hit from 49, and I remember that FG it had another 5-10 yards on it. Yeah, he's not going to get you a touchback every time out there, most of the time even he won't, but that's okay he will get the ball between the 10 and the Goaline if not the 5 and the GLine. If you don't have good Special Teams down there to tackle the returner it doesn't mean jack. The Nuge is going to continue to get better and better and get used to the Meadowlands winds and weather. That's what screwed him over with the New Orleans game. He was 22-28 as a rookie and kicking half of those games in Giants Stadium and 2 others in New England and Buffalo. Comeon guys, give the guy a break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny green balls Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 What dissapointed you about Nugent? That he was 0-2 from 50+? Get over it. Even the best miss some 50 yarders. He was a rookie and in a crazy stadium to kick field goals. Comeon guys, everyone has to get used to The Meadowlands. He hit from 49, and I remember that FG it had another 5-10 yards on it. Yeah, he's not going to get you a touchback every time out there, most of the time even he won't, but that's okay he will get the ball between the 10 and the Goaline if not the 5 and the GLine. If you don't have good Special Teams down there to tackle the returner it doesn't mean jack. The Nuge is going to continue to get better and better and get used to the Meadowlands winds and weather. That's what screwed him over with the New Orleans game. He was 22-28 as a rookie and kicking half of those games in Giants Stadium and 2 others in New England and Buffalo. Comeon guys, give the guy a break. nobody on here said they don't like him or that he's no good-- i just questioned getting a kicker in the 2nd round as has at least 25% of this board at one point or another-- i'm surprised at the reaction to this point, i've said things infinitely more offensive without stirring up this kind of response. debate is good though, keeps the blood flowing. for the record i'm a nugent fan and i like the kid, my point is more an indictment of the previous regime than "blaming the nuge." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 I think its fair to assume we could have Nugent in 3rd, maybe even 4th round Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffyD Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 its a fair question,, many scribes questioned that at the time,, maybe you need to lighten up ,, relax this weekend I'm just sick of the same question. Sorry I had my own opinion, I'll refrain next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffyD Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 I think its fair to assume we could have Nugent in 3rd, maybe even 4th round I don't think that's a fair assumption at all SJ, it was said that Minny wanted the kid with their pick at 49, and I'm sure a bunch of other teams needing a kicker would not have allowed the best kicker in that draft to slip to the 4th. Also, our picks in that draft were very late in each round, I don't think we would have even sniffed him come our turn in the 3rd that year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny green balls Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 I'm just sick of the same question. Sorry I had my own opinion, I'll refrain next time. dude are you kidding? if anyone was hostile to opposing viewpoints it was you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffyD Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 dude are you kidding? if anyone was hostile to opposing viewpoints it was you. My bad for jumping down your throat jgb, I'm a little wound up right now with the Italy game coming up so please excuse my rash posting (especially since your sig makes me laugh every time I read it). Back to the issue, too high with the 2nd? I don't think so, yeah kickers are usually late rounders or even udfa, but I think you have to judge each draft individually becase as we've all seen through the years certain drafts are really stacked and others aren't for certain positions. In the case of Nugent, given that we really needed a kicker, no other kickers were coming out that were close to being as highly touted as Nug, and the fact that we made that brilliant trade to get Jolley (sarcasm) and the extra 2nd rounder in our pocket it was a pick we needed to make. Now, was he taken too high based on performance last year? I don't think so, in fact I think he was better than Nate Kaeding who went to SD in the 3rd I believe and slightly higher in that round. Problem with Nug last year was that his offense really sucked and he got very few opportunites to try and do things. Shoot, how many kickoffs could he have even tried, we never scored. What he did do was pretty good, and a lot better than any bum off the street we would have snagged. I think he gets better, jmo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitonti Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Nugent will be our kicker for the next decade, maybe longer he's the new and improved version of Pat Leahy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boozer76 Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 The basics of Nugent boils down to this: Will Nugent get better? Probably. Will he ever be worht the equivalent of a 2nd round draft pick? Probably not. He's our kicker, and he didn't put a gun to anyone's head to get drafted in the 2nd so I'll support him until he starts sucking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 My bad for jumping down your throat jgb, I'm a little wound up right now with the Italy game coming up . maybe this will cheer you up: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny green balls Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 The basics of Nugent boils down to this: Will Nugent get better? Probably. Will he ever be worht the equivalent of a 2nd round draft pick? Probably not. He's our kicker, and he didn't put a gun to anyone's head to get drafted in the 2nd so I'll support him until he starts sucking. what he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonehands Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Physician heel thyself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffyD Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 maybe this will cheer you up: Thanks SJ, I'm sure sure you pasted something supportive but for some reason I can't see it on my computer. Do I need to do something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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