The Strange Highs and Lows of Being a Kicker

It's no secret that, of any guy who plays football, the kicker is usually the one who gets the most criticism outside of the quarterback.

Sure, the signal-caller has the most responsibility in rallying and leading his team each and every day, but it's the kicker who get crapped on for being, well, the kicker, often being reminded that he's the smallest guy on the team and teased about being nothing more than a glorified soccer player wearing pads.

Since the life of a kicker has an insane amount of ups and downs—with a player being cut for not doing the one thing they're expected to do, make field goals—we thought it would be interesting to see the highs and lows of what it's really like to be a kicker.

Low: Bill Gramatica's Celebration Fail

When you're a football player, there are plenty of ways to get hurt. However, most of them actually involve being hit by an opposing player, not something that's so self-inflicting.

Unfortunately, former NFL kicker Bill Gramatica became the poster boy of bad injuries, as he tore his ACL during his rookie campaign of 2001 after hopping up and down as if he had just won the Super Bowl.

Too bad it was just a 43-yarder in the first quarter of a game, though, which has remained a black eye on all kickers everywhere. Poor dudes.

Low: Being Dan Bailey

While he has made every one of his kicking attempts so far this season, things still seem to be going pretty bad for Dallas Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey—and it has nothing to do with his ability to perform at his position.

No, Bailey's misfortunes have come due to two things that have gained him unnecessary attention, which a team never wants, nor expects from their kicker.

The first came during the 'Boys' opening-night game against the New York Giants when, during player intros, Bailey's photo looked as if he was either asleep, stoned or, well, in other words, it wasn't flattering.

Bailey must have thought he needed to prove he was aware of what was going on in the next game, as he was seen yucking it up with former Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray, grabbing him on the sideline and getting flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that cost Dallas 15 yards.

In both instances, Bailey got a little more roasting from media and teammates because, you guessed it, he's a kicker.

High: Adam Vinatieri

Of all the laughs directed at kickers, future Hall of Fame leg-swinger Adam Vinatieri is the anti-joke, as he's walking around wearing four Super Bowl rings, with two of them coming because of his field goals as time expired.

For all the credit that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady gets for being terrific, had Vinatieri missed those last-second attempts in Super Bowls XXXVI and XXXVIII, Brady might just be considered a good, but not iconic signal-caller.

Vinatieri's success and clutch gene is as good as any athlete in the past 15-plus years—even if he is just a little old kicker.

Low: Job Uncertainty

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

The Players' Tribune—a website founded by former New York Yankees superstar Derek Jeter—has done some pretty cool things to allow fans the chance to hear first-person stories from athletes.

One of those who penned a recent column is Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus, who talked about what life is really like for an NFL kicker.

Offering a description for fans to understand the isolation and cut-and-dry business of the position, McManus also talked about the uncertainty that comes along with it, as he went from undrafted player, to the practice squad, to being cut, signing with a team, cut again and then, finally, finding a spot with the Broncos.

Kickers have one job: to make field goals. When they don't do it as often as expected or in clutch situations, they lose their job, which, fair or not, comes with the territory.

High: Successful Onside Kicks

There's no denying that a successful onside kick sometimes has to do with lucky bounces or tense nerves from opposing players.

But regardless of how a kicking team recovers an attempt, the kicker is usually the one who gets all the credit for executing the difficult play.

Although he does have the responsibility in trying to be perfect while kicking off the tee, more often than not, the kicker has no hand in the recovery—but teammates and coaches will praise him if they're able to get the ball back, which has to be a good feeling.

Low: Scott Norwood Treatment

You guys, most of us were either really young or, proving that I'm super old, weren't even alive when former NFL kicker Scott Norwood missed the most pivotal field-goal attempt of his career during Super Bowl XXV in 1991.

Still, that hasn't stopped fans from remembering him for one thing, "Wide Right," as Norwood pushed a potential game-winning try to the right of the uprights against the New York Giants.

Making matters worse for Norwood, a Buffalo Bills fan was recently spotted wearing a customized Norwood jersey that had the former player's last name skewed to the right on the nameplate, poking even more fun at the dude's most regrettable misfortune of his NFL career.

Low: Getting Tossed Around Like Chris Callahan

Baylor Bears player Chris Callahan had one of the worst plays a kicker could ever have last season against Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl.

Lining up for a 44-yard attempt to help extend his team's lead to nine points—which, for all intents and purposes, would have iced the game—his kick not only got blocked, but on the return by the Spartans, Callahan got rocked like a rag doll, decleated on a block that sent him airborne and to the ground.

Making matters worse for Callahan, Sparty scored the game-winning touchdown with 17 seconds left, although, the kicker was probably still so woozy that he had no idea what happened after getting nailed.

Showing a sense of humor about it, though, Callahan took to Twitter not long afterward, validating that, yes, he was still alive and that he was proud of the season the Bears had.

High: Delivering A Monster Hit Like Pat McAfee

It's not common fans get to see a kicker playing the role of special teams enforcer, but, every so often, it happens.

Although they're usually the smallest players on the field, when a kicker is the only thing that stands in the way of a returner and the end zone, part of the job description is to do what they can in order to bring the opponent down.

A lot of times, that just involves being enough of a roadblock to slow the guy down until faster, stronger teammates catch up, but sometimes they get to deliver the hits.

Just look at that decleater from Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee, who, while handling kickoff duties, leveled a returner as if he were playing safety. 

Low: Costing Your Team The Game

I'm not so sure there is a worse way to lose a football game than how the Texas Longhorns did against the Cal Bears last Saturday—and it's all because of their kicker, Nick Rose.

After his Horns came back from a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter, all Rose had to do to send the game into overtime was the one thing he's expected to do, make the PAT.

That was too much to ask, though, as Rose completely shanked it to the right with just over a minute to play, shocking his teammates and costing Texas a chance at the win.