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K Josh Huston (official thread)

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limaohio

4/24/06

Findlay’s Huston hopes for call on draft day
By JIM NAVEAU
419-993-2087
04/23/2006
[email protected]

COLUMBUS — Findlay’s Josh Huston doesn’t know where he will be signing with an NFL team, but he is hopeful he will be signing sometime after Saturday’s NFL draft.
The Ohio State kicker smiled and said, “Who knows?” when asked at Ohio State’s spring football game what might happen in the next week for him
“We’re hoping we get a call on Sunday and get drafted. But if not, there is still going to be opportunities out there to sign as a free agent. We’re just kind of waiting it out. We’ve done everything we can. It’s not in our hands anymore,” Huston said.
Huston hit 22 of 28 field goals last season in his only season as the Buckeyes’ regular kicker. He also was 44 of 45 on extra points and only 23 of his 77 kickoffs were returned.
That combination of kickoff ability and field goal accuracy has made Huston the top-rated kicker in the draft, according to most draft analysts.
But, with only seven rounds in the NFL draft, that is no guarantee of being drafted. Many NFL kickers sign as free agents.
Three teams have shown the most interest and three others have contacted him, Huston said.
“There are three team that are real serious — Green Bay, Atlanta and New England. Dallas is looking for a kickoff guy and so are the Ravens. Miami has come up here and worked me out,” he said.
“There are a lot of opportunities out there and hopefully I land where I get a good shot.”
Click to expand...
 
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Toledo Blade

Huston figures to be up to par
OSU kicker expects to be drafted

Ohio State's Josh Huston sizes up a kick against Northwestern. After hitting 22 of 28 field goal attempts for the Buckeyes, he will play golf while the draft takes its course.


By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

FINDLAY - If Josh Huston's name gets called in Sunday's portion of the NFL draft, the Findlay native and former Ohio State kicker hopes to just do what he's always done best - put the ball on a tee and hit it long and straight right down the middle.
But the athletic Huston and his turbo-powered leg won't be pounding an inflated hunk of cowhide deep into the end zone like he did so consistently for Ohio State this past season. Huston and his dad, Denny, will be golfing, and seeking refuge from the anxiety-laden process of waiting for a life-changing telephone call that might - or might not - come. "Josh told me we weren't going to sit around and sweat it out, like a lot of people do on draft day," Denny Huston said. "By the time we finish the round, we should know, one way or the other. By going golfing on draft day, I think that says an awful lot about how Josh has handled this whole thing." The elder Huston said a good walk around the golf course seems like the ideal way to end several hectic months of intense workouts, private auditions with certain teams, and his son taking part in formal NFL pre-draft programs. "The way we look at it is, Josh has done everything he could do over the past few months, and now all of this is in the hands of other people - beyond his control. There have been players before him that have anguished over it and spent the whole day on edge. But that's not Josh. He understands there are a million variables in this process, and he only controls one of them." Huston has worked out individually for the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers. The ever-growing cavalcade of experts who attempt to predict the direction the draft will take have Huston going anywhere from the third round to not at all, and thus signing with a team as a free agent.

"I don't have a clue, and I know you can get surprised either way," the 2000 Findlay High graduate said recently. "My goal all along has been just to get drafted, and more importantly, I'd like to go somewhere where they're excited about me being there and they really want me to play." In just one season as the Buckeyes' starting kicker, Huston gave them plenty to be excited about. He was 22-of-28 on field goals in 2005 while helping the Buckeyes to a 10-2 record, a share of the Big Ten championship and a win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. Huston was 17-of-18 on field goal attempts inside 40 yards for the Buckeyes. The pro scouts are most enamored with his leg strength. Huston drilled 49 of his 70 kickoffs into or through the end zone for touchbacks, including a string of 16 in a row. "That alone is a very valuable weapon," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "If you take the return out of the formula, and make the opposition start at their 20-yard line that often, that has to translate into a big field-position advantage." The 6-foot-1, 209 pound Huston, an all-state player in both soccer and football for the Trojans, said several teams with established field goal kickers might consider him initially as a kickoff specialist. "The way I see it - and I could be wrong - there's a lot of kickers that can make field goals," Huston said. "A lot of kickers are going to be right there, and what separates them is the guys I've seen perform under pressure, and who have the bigger leg that's going to get you better field position. So I think it's a big plus for teams to carry kickoff specialists." The pros kick off from the 30, not the 35-yard line the colleges use, but Huston's dad said the NFL folks seem satisfied that distance won't be an issue. "In his workouts with the various teams, Josh has had a hang time of around four seconds or more on his kickoffs, and he's hit everything consistently inside the 5, close to the goal line or past it," he said. "That distance with that kind of hang time, they said it puts him with the kickers who are already in the league, and that his leg strength is a plus." Huston has spent most of the spring in Columbus, working out with his Ohio State teammates and spending time with a kicking coach who has helped him make the mechanical changes in his form to adjust to the different equipment used by the NFL - different ball, different tee. "His training is different from the other guys, since he's not trying to get faster or bulkier like most of them need to," Denny Huston said. "Josh worked out at the Woody Hayes Center on a regular basis, and right now he is in midseason form. He's had great workouts with the various teams, and now we'll just wait to see which team needs a solid kicker. It's a process we don't control at this point."
 
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Dispatch

4/27/06


Ex-OSU kicker Huston wants chance to prove himself in NFL

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




Being considered one of the top players at a position going into an NFL draft makes a fellow feel like a guaranteed pick.

Except for one position — kicker.

"A few years ago (1998) there wasn’t even a kicker drafted," Josh Huston said.

He knows, because he has a vested interest. Last season Huston was the kicker for Ohio State who kept banging the ball to the end zone on kickoffs and also made 22 of 28 field goals.

Yet he’s not sitting high and mighty days before picking time. He and Stephen Gostkowski of Memphis are considered the top kickers, but so what?

"The deal with kickers is they would love to pick you up as a free agent," said Huston, who knows there’s a large group of kickers hanging around in NFL Europe or the arena leagues.

Last year, Huston’s predecessor at Ohio State, Mike Nugent, was an anomaly of sorts. He broke all kinds of school records in his three-plus years as the starter, then entered the market as the New York Jets were seeking a new foot.

They made him their first pick, midway through the second round — the highest-drafted kicker since Oakland took Sebastian Janikowski in the first round in 2000.

Nugent was one of three kickers drafted last year, and three were tabbed in 2004. But only one was picked in 2003. As for this year, no one knows what’s in the works.

"There does seem to be a lot of buzz, though, a lot of interest," Huston said.

Draft watchers say Atlanta, Green Bay, New England, Miami, St. Louis, Baltimore and Dallas are known to have interest in Huston. Several teams are looking into carrying a kickoff specialist as well as possibly a weaker-legged but accurate kicker for extra points and field goals.

If Huston has a problem, it might be that he has only one season in his portfolio. But Nugent pointed out that OSU punter B.J. Sander was the starter only during his senior year of 2003, but he won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter and was drafted in the third round by Green Bay.

"Sometimes one year is all it takes if you can prove yourself," Nugent said.
In that regard, "Josh had a great year last year, kicking for a big-time school in some really big games, and I would think there is plenty of interest in him," Nugent said.

It’s Huston’s dream is to make it in the NFL.

"Getting drafted still doesn’t mean you’ll be the guy, but it means you’ll have a shot," Huston said. "I just want to be lucky enough to have the opportunity to compete for a job, because I believe I’ll get it done."

[email protected]
Click to expand...
 
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tedginn05 said:
I have a question. In NFL history has there ever been two players, from the same school, that both started at the same position in the same year.

As far as the kicker position goes, I would think not. Looks like OSU could make some history.
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Actually, the NFL just passed a new rule that prohibits 2 players from the same school starting at the same position on the same day. If there are 2 players in danger of breaking this rule, the player whose 3rd letter of their middle name is closer to "Q" will be allowed to start. The other player must sit the first 17 plays. Of course, if one game is Sunday and one is Monday they would be fine...as long as their parents didn't have the same breed of dog.
 
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FindlayBucks said:
Actually, the NFL just passed a new rule that prohibits 2 players from the same school starting at the same position on the same day. If there are 2 players in danger of breaking this rule, the player whose 3rd letter of their middle name is closer to "Q" will be allowed to start. The other player must sit the first 17 plays. Of course, if one game is Sunday and one is Monday they would be fine...as long as their parents didn't have the same breed of dog.
Click to expand...

:rofl:
 
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Link

5/2

BEARS BITS

2 tight ends among 13 free-agent signees

BY K.C. JOHNSON

May 2, 2006

Tim Day and Cooper Wallace highlight the 13 undrafted free agents the Bears signed Monday, as much for their position as their resumes.

Day and Wallace are tight ends, the one position general manager Jerry Angelo acknowledged he failed to augment in the NFL draft last weekend.

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A three-year starter at Oregon, Day caught 86 passes for 13 touchdowns and has enough size--6 feet 4 inches and 268 pounds--to be impressive.

Wallace started three years at Auburn, where he caught 63 passes for four scores. He's listed at 6-4 and 251.

"They're different, but the good similarity is they come from major-college programs," Angelo said. "Day has very good speed and hands. He's a guy who can stretch the field. Wallace is a little bit of both, a good blocker and receiver. But he's not a downfield guy like Day is.

"They were both very productive within the framework of their offenses. They've had a lot of experience."

Angelo said the Bears still would monitor veteran tight ends who could be waived. And showing the lengths the Bears are traveling to challenge incumbent Desmond Clark, they're even taking fliers.

Zach Puchtel, who played power forward at Minnesota, will attend this weekend's rookie mini-camp. Puchtel, 6-6 and 250 pounds, played one year of football at Harvard before transferring to play basketball.

Dotted line

Northwestern receiver Mark Philmore and Notre Dame tackle Mark LeVoir were local products who went undrafted but signed to attend the Bears' rookie mini-camp.

The Bears also added Ohio State kicker Josh Huston, whom Angelo said had been their No. 1-rated kicker in the draft. He will challenge Robbie Gould.

"He called us and said this is where he wanted to be," Angelo said. "We like his confidence."

More Manning

The Bears' top pick, safety Danieal Manning, has an uncle, Tyjuan, who plays receiver at Abilene Christian, which means he often would line up against a relative in practice.

"How about that?" Manning said.

Manning also said not to fear a repeat of last year, when Cedric Benson was the longest holdout in Bears history.
 
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FindlayBucks said:
Actually, the NFL just passed a new rule that prohibits 2 players from the same school starting at the same position on the same day. If there are 2 players in danger of breaking this rule, the player whose 3rd letter of their middle name is closer to "Q" will be allowed to start. The other player must sit the first 17 plays. Of course, if one game is Sunday and one is Monday they would be fine...as long as their parents didn't have the same breed of dog.
Click to expand...

seriously Clark?
 
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Link

5/8

Huston kicks up challenge
​


​
LAKE FOREST – Most undrafted free agents last week waited to hear from their agents about which NFL teams sought their services.
Kicker Josh Huston took his future into his own hands, calling the Bears and telling them he wanted a preseason roster spot and the right to compete with holdover Robbie Gould.
The interest was mutual, especially since the Bears considered Huston the best prospect at his position before the draft. He made his Bears debut this weekend at a rookie mini-camp and figures to be a strong challenger for the job.
"I like the city and the team," Huston said. "Coach [Dave] Toub is a very smart guy. He knows what he's talking about when it comes to kicking and special teams."
Huston's drawback may turn out to be his lack of experience. He got one season as the primary kicker at Ohio State, spending most of his career as the backup to Michael Nugent.
Huston held his own in competition but could not overtake Nugent, who went to the New York Jets in the second round of last year's draft.
"Mike's a great kicker," Huston said. "You sit there and [think] you could have been somewhere else, but then again I've learned a lot him from him and learned a lot from a competing standpoint. I've gained a lot from it that I wouldn't have gained elsewhere."
Huston, who made 22 of 28 field goals last season, will try to put some of those lessons to good use and beat out Gould.
Making 21 of 27 field goals as a Bears rookie last season, Gould brought sorely-needed stability to the position and rebounded after a rough senior season at Penn State. Huston knows him from the Big Ten.
"He's a good kicker," Huston said. "He made a lot of clutch field goals against us and has a big leg. I was impressed when he was at Penn State and he's only gotten better."
Gould indeed has a strong leg, but probably not as strong as Huston's. The former Buckeye converted touchbacks on nearly 75 percent of his kickoffs last season.
That number will drop significantly in the NFL, where the kickoffs take place five yards farther back than in college.
"It's always nice to have a good kickoff," Huston said. "That's like an extra bonus. There are a lot of good field-goal kickers that don't kick off or aren't great kickoff guys."
The Bears never like to keep anyone on the roster as a kickoff specialist, so Huston will have to win the job outright.
"We'll let both of them get their kicks each day and then we'll make a decision during [preseason games] who will get the majority of the reps," coach Lovie Smith said. "As much as anything, we just want to put the guys in a situation for them to prove exactly what they have and whether they can help us or not."

By NICK HUT
[email protected]
 
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