Every year at this time, the Bears add another name to an undistinguished list of kickers on their last leg who were invited to training camp.
It began in Paul Edinger’s rookie year of 2000 when Michael Husted and Jarret Holmes took their best shots at unseating Edinger. Remember them?
How about Jimmy Kibble, signed in the 2001 to push Edinger before it was discovered Kibble was on a work-release program after a short prison sentence. Then came Vitaly Pisetsky, Jon Hilbert, Alex Walls and Joe O’Donnell–hardly a Mount Rushmore of up-and-coming NFL kickers.
“I think everybody they brought in was for a reason,” Edinger said. “It pushed me to think they could have this job as much as I can.”
The latest prop is Remy Hamilton, a nice guy with a cool name but little chance of rattling the kicker who’s already one of the best in Bears’ history after four seasons.
“All Paul hears about is bringing someone in to handle kickoffs,” punter Brad Maynard said. “Yet you bring guys in and are they kicking better than [Edinger] on kickoffs? They might hit one or two and their best might be better than his best. But in terms of consistency, he’s always right there.”
Considering Edinger led the NFL last season in field-goal percentage from 40 or more yards (12 of 26, 46.2 percent) and is the most accurate Bears’ kicker ever, it’s hard to argue with his consistency.
But the Bears want to help a shaky defense by finishing higher than last in the NFC in kickoff yardage as they did a year ago. On average, Edinger’s 69 kickoffs in 2003 landed at the 12-yard line with one touchback–so the Bears were one of only three NFL teams to have one or fewer.
Enter Hamilton.
“We treat kickers and punters like left tackles and everyone else, and try to create competition at every position,” general manager Jerry Angelo said. “Paul responds better with pressure. People who coached him [at Michigan State] made that a point about him. He’s handling it very well again.”
So it seems. Though the next emotional fissure detected in Edinger will be the first.
“It helps me when they bring these guys in,” Edinger said. “I push myself harder. There’s competition every day, against yourself and the whole league. I still have one of the best jobs.”
It’s not a job Edinger grew up dreaming about in Lakeland, Fla., as he honed soccer skills good enough to earn an invitation to U.S. Olympic developmental squad tryouts.
On his way home after being cut from that team, Edinger told his dad he wanted to try football. Edinger later joined the Kathleen High School team after seeing one of his friends struggle kicking field goals.
He developed his unorthodox style of turning his back to the line of scrimmage to create more power and, after Edinger booted a 68-yard field goal in practice, his coaches never tried correcting him.
At Michigan State and with the Bears, coaches have taken the same “whatever works” approach.
The biggest compliment paid to Edinger comes from coaches and teammates who insist the kicker’s temperament sets him apart more than his technique. Maynard, Edinger’s best friend on the Bears, admires the way Edinger reacts the same way after 35-yard misses and 52-yard makes.
“He does a better job of handling mis-hits than I do,” Maynard said. “He’ll be disappointed, but we’ll be talking about it on the plane ride home and he’s like, `What do I do? I can’t change it now.’ It’s not, `Oh, well, I don’t care.’ He just moves on.”
Moving into new Soldier Field last season affected Edinger more than many expected. He hit 26 of 36 field goals on the season but seven of his 10 misses came at home–including a costly 34-yarder in a two-point loss to St. Louis in November.
The amount of practice time Edinger spent at the stadium became an issue so Lovie Smith plans to avoid that this year by sending Edinger downtown at least once a week.
“We think that will help a little bit,” Smith said. “I’m in favor of doing anything that will help a kicker’s mind.”
It helps when that kicker’s mind happens to be as strong as his right leg.
“I don’t know where it comes from or why I do that, but I’m lucky I handle the good and the bad pretty well,” Edinger said. “I’m ready for some more of the good.”
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Kick in the pants
The Bears have invited at least one free-agent placekicker to training camp every season since Paul Edinger’s rookie year to challenge him.
2000:
Michael Husted and Jarret Holmes
Husted had experience and Holmes made a solid run, but Dick Jauron was swayed by Edinger’s unflappable demeanor.
2001: Jimmy Kibble and Vitaly Pisetsky
Edinger showed new GM Jerry Angelo the consistency Jauron raved about.
2002: Jon Hilbert
Hilbert may have had the strongest leg of any of the challengers but was hardly automatic on FGs and PATs.
2003: Alex Walls and Joe O’Donnell
More than any other year, these guys were around mostly so Edinger wouldn’t wear out his leg at camp.
2004: Remy Hamilton
Angelo likes Hamilton, an Arena Football fixture, but he’s not likely to kick for the Bears unless Edinger gets hurt.
