faba Posted April 30, 2005 Share Posted April 30, 2005 Rookie kicker Mike Nugent knows how to kick in front of screaming fans, in the cold, with winds swirling and the game on the line. The All-American from Ohio State made plenty of winning boots while with the Buckeyes. Now the question is whether he can he do the same in the pros, especially with the scrutiny that will follow him no matter what he does after going in the second round of the draft. Special teams coach Mike Westhoff is sure Nugent is prepared for the NFL. Though the Meadowlands is a notoriously difficult place to kick because of tricky winds in the end zones, Westhoff pointed to the games Nugent played at Ohio State. "I'm going to put him in every pressure-packed situation I can," Westhoff said on the second day of mini-camp. "I believe he's done that his whole career. He's been in big, big games at Ohio State. He's had to perform, up north, outdoors under those conditions. That is close as possible to emulate what we're going to do." Nugent has never been to the Meadowlands but has heard about the difficult conditions. He has also been kicking with an NFL football since January, working out on his own at Ohio State to get himself prepared. He has already been challenged in his first two days of mini-camp. On Friday, Westhoff had him kick a 43-yarder right away. Though he missed, he settled down and made four of his next five. On Saturday, he made all six of his attempts from between 40 and 45 yards. Nugent is definitely making the team and is ready for whatever criticism may come his way. "You're only as good as your next kick," he said. "If you miss three in a row you're only as good as the next one. You have to be able to throw those last ones out and be able to do your best one the next one." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barton Posted April 30, 2005 Share Posted April 30, 2005 On Saturday, he made all six of his attempts from between 40 and 45 yards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faba Posted April 30, 2005 Author Share Posted April 30, 2005 On Saturday, he made all six of his attempts from between 40 and 45 yards. The one thing about Nugent- we know he has a strong leg as evidenced by his college career- but to me the biggest thing is he has kicked in conditions out in the Midwest where the weather has to be factored in and thrived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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