David King Hits NFL

Unknown Aussie hits NFL big time

Article by: Will Brodie The Sydney Morning Herald

A journeyman footballer who shares the name of a North Melbourne premiership great has earned a contract as a punter with American football giant the New England Patriots. David King, a 28-year-old sales representative and former personal trainer, who last played for Norwood in the Eastern football league in 2008, becomes the only punter on the Patriot roster, signing a one-year deal that could be worth as much as $320,000. Read more...

Click below to listent to David King's Testimonials after his One on One Punting Lesson with Coach Zauner in Phoenix, Arizona in April of 2009.

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CFL Draft & Rob Maver

Guelph kicker-punter Maver can't wait for upcoming CFL Canadian college draft

By Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
April 28, 2010

Rob Maver can't wait for Sunday.

That's when months of uncertainty will end for the Guelph Gryphons kicker-punter, who will finally know where he'll begin his pro football career when the CFL conducts its annual Canadian college draft (TSN, noon ET). Read more...

Rob Maver Training in Scottsdale, AZ April 24-25, 2010

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Nick Pertuit Getting Exposure

Kicker Pertuit waiting for call after camp performance
By Daniel Youngblood
Posted April 27, 2010 10.21 PM

Nick Pertuit kicks for the Ruff Riders and coaches soccer at Wylie High School.

With a strong showing at coach Gary Zauner’s Free-Agent Specialists Combine March 26 and 27 in Phoenix, Wylie soccer coach and Ruff Riders kicker Nich Pertuit has done all he can to impress the folks that could hold the keys to his future.

Now, he gets to wait — for a May 15 tryout with the defending United Football League champion Las Vegas Locomotives and for any other opportunities his combine showing might have earned him.

Pertuit was about as efficient as he possibly could have been at the combine, making every field goal he attempted and showing off his leg on kickoffs. But he won’t know for a few more weeks whether or not that was enough to earn him a roster sport in the UFL or an opportunity with an NFL or Canadian Football League franchise.

“There were quite a few NFL scouts and coaches there, and they didn’t talk to too many people, but I had a couple come by and say, ‘Good job,’ and ‘We really like your leg,’ that kind of thing,” he said. “I was able to talk to some UFL coaches as well, but what’s probably going to be happening is in the next few weeks, I’ll probably be hearing a little more because after the draft happens, they’ll start bringing guys in for workouts and minicamps and that sort of deal.

“Really, I’m just kind of waiting until then to hear something back.”

A return to his role with the Ruff Riders has given him something to occupy his time while he waits, but he said he’s not overly anxious.

He has done all he can at this point.

“It’s a process,” he said. “It’s definitely not (that) you do this and you’re in somewhere. It’s a process where I think I did myself enough good and where I think I should be able to get at least an opportunity somewhere.”

The combine’s format allowed Pertuit four kickoffs, the shortest of which he said landed five yards deep in the end zone, and eight field goals, starting from 30 yards out and moving out to 50. He said he was one of four kickers out of 28 to hit all eight of those field goals, and he added bonus kicks of 51 and 54 yards.

Any nerves he had, he hid well.

“When I stepped up to it, it just felt like any other competition I had been in because I’d been to many soccer tryouts,” he said. “So I just approached it the same way. I know what I can do. It’s not like a wrestling or boxing match where I need to beat an opponent, I just have to do the best I can do.

“When I went in, really I wasn’t that nervous. I just really had a good time, and once it started rolling, I could just tell it was going to be a really good day.”

And getting feedback from Zauner, a 13-year NFL coach, and a group of guys that included former NFL kicker Nick Novak didn’t hurt either.

“I think you always compare yourself subconsciously when you go into something like that, so it was a little competitive in nature, but at the same time once I started doing well and the other guys were doing well, there was really a lot of encouragement,” he said. “I thought that was pretty cool.”

Having hired an agent the week after the combine, the next thing Pertuit hopes to hear is opportunity knocking.

He impressed Zauner with his leg and his professionalism, and, with one tryout already locked up, he’d love the chance to do the same for some NFL, CFL or UFL talent evaluators with a contract on the line.

“Really, I just look at it as having fun,” he said. “I love to compete and it’s one of those deals where I don’t feel the pressure because I just think I’m going out there and doing something I want to do anyway.”

NFL, CFL and UFL Coaches Evaluate Specialists Talent

Nick Pertuit Kicking During Coach Zauner's Combine

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Tampa Bay Works Out 7 Specialists

Coach Zauner Meets with Coaches and Scouts


NFL Coaches and Scouts Evaluate Specialists

On Monday April 19th the Tampa Bay Buccaneers flew in seven kicking specialists from my Free Agent Specialists Combine.

Justin Sheridan, Pro Scout for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was in Scottsdale, Arizona on March 27, 2010 to attend Coach Zauner's Free Agent Specialists Combine. At the end of the Combine he mentioned that he liked a couple of the specialists and was going to take the information back home to Tampa Bay and share it with Rich Bisaccia who is the Special Teams Coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The players who received workouts:

Snappers:

Jonathan Weeks - Baylor University
Chris Mauriello - Penn State University

Jonathan Weeks - Baylor University Snapper

Chris Mauriello - Penn State University Snapper

Kickers:

Chris Koepplin - University of Massachusetts
Brooks Rossman - Kansas State University

Chris Koepplin - University of Massachusetts Kicker

Brooks Rossman - Kansas State University Kicker

Punters:

Cort Johnson - West Texas A & M University
Waylon Prather - San Jose State University
Eric Wilbur - University of Florida

Cort Johnson - West Texas A & M Punter

Waylon Prather - San Jose State Punter

Eric Wilbur - University of Florida Punter

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Canada's Rob Maver

Rob Maver - University of Guelph

On Saturday and Sunday Rob Maver, University of Guelph was in Scottsdale, Arizona preparing for this years Canadian Football Season. Rob is the best combination punter/kicker specialist coming out for this years -Canadian Football League- CFL Draft. The Draft will take place next Sunday, May 2 in Canada.

Rob is predicted to be a top 10 Canadian draft pick in this years CFL Draft.

To qualify this statement you need to know that the CFL Draft is nothing like the NFL Draft. Offensive and defensive linemen, tight ends, fullbacks and kicking specialists are primary picks in the CFL Draft. Quarterbacks, runningbacks, wide receivers and defensive backs are position players imported and held for American Football Players.

Last year Rob came to Arizona for One on One Punting and Kicking Lessons with hopes to have an excellent senior season and increase his stock in the draft. His hard work paid dividends and he had an outstanding season.

Rob has worked hard on his punting and kicking technique to be the best he can be. He has been here for my One on One Lessons and attended my June 2009 PRO Development Camp to prepare for this big day. Next week Sunday his dream will come true.

At the present time he is the top rated specialists in this years CFL Draft.

Click below to view a short highlight tape of Rob Maver's One on One Lesson in Scottsdale, Arizona with Coach Zauner.

Rob has worked extremely hard the last two years to be the best he can be and his hard work is paying off. It has been a pleasure meeting and working with Rob the last two years and I believe Canada is getting a true professional and a very talented kicking specialist.

I wish him the best of luck in the Canadian Football League and I believe in a couple years he will be here in the USA playing for some team in the NFL.

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NFL Draft Day 2

Day 1 of the 2010 NFL Draft -Round 1- No kicking specialists will or should be taken.

Day 2 of the 2010 NFL Draft -Rounds 2 and 3- No kicking specialists will or should be taken.

Saturday's Action:

Day 3 of the 2010 NFL Draft -Rounds 4 through 7 - Possibility of a limited number of kicking specialists to be Drafted.

As I watched the 2010 NFL Draft on Friday, I noticed that ESPN Draft Coverage lists the best available players at each position on the right side of the TV screen.

Mel Keipers Best Available Picks for Kickers:

1) Brett Swenson - Michigan State University

2) Hunter Lawrence - University of Texas

3) Aaron Pettrey - Ohio State

The three players listed above are big name kicking specialists from big named Universities.

Everyone is entitled to their options. However I believe the best available kicker in this years draft is a young man by the name of Garrett Lindholm from a very small school Tarleton State University in the Big State of TEXAS.

This year I held my first Annual College Senior Specialists Combine February 20-21, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona. Sixty-Three (63) kicking specialists came to showcase their skills; click to view Combine.


This was the first opportunity for me to see Garrett Lindholm and many other excellent kicking specialists from all around the country demonstrate their abilities up close and in a competitive environment.

The next week I attended the NFL Combine in Indy and observed several other top rated kicking specialists.

Between my College Senior Specialists Combine, the NFL Combine and several other Bowl Games I had an opportunity to see and evaluate the best of the best kicking specialists coming out in this years NFL Draft.

The reason I believe Garrett Lindholm is the Best Kicker in this years draft is I had an opportunity to also coach him in a One on One Kicking Lesson a couple of weeks after my College Senior Specialist Combine.

At my College Senior Specialists Combine I do not try to coach any of the specialists because they come to this event because they feel they have NFL potential and they come and compete. I could see many of the specialists had potential but some lacked fundamentals or consistency.

Two weeks after my combine during Garrett's One on One Kicking Lesson I saw a young man who had power and explosion in his leg but lacked consistency get much better in just a lesson.

The thing that impressed me most about Garrett was he was very coachable. As we worked he was a quick study and caught on fast.

Now, maybe some of the other players mentioned above and others around the country have also improved but it is my opinion that Garrett Lindholm is the Best Kicker in this years Draft and will be an excellent NFL kicker immediately.

This is not only my opinion but I have also received calls and talked to many NFL Coaches and Scouts that were at a couple of Garrett's workouts and PRO Day and they have also echoed my comments. As a matter of fact, two NFL scouts questioned 'why' Garrett was not invited to the NFL Combine.

Garrett Lindholm at Coach Zauner's College Senior Specialists Combine

Click to view Garrett Lindholm's College Senior Combine kicking workout.

Click below to view a short clip of Coach Zauner's One on One Lesson with Tarleton State Kicker, Garrett Lindholm.

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Value of Good Technique

This past year has been exceptional in terms of a kicking coach seeing the results from specialists who came to me for Kicking, Punting and Snapping Lessons.

Drew Butler was named the ‘Ray Guy Award’ winner. Rob Maver was named one of the top kicking specialists in Canada and has become a ‘hot’ commodity in the upcoming Canadian draft.

Drew Butler 'Ray Guy Award' Winner



Rob Maver - Canada's Top Combination P/PK Specialist

Billy Cundiff re-booted his career into the NFL with an excellent showing at my 2009 Free Agent Specialists Combine, and Mitch Berger, with continued training through One on One lessons, kept his 15 year career thriving going on to a Super Bowl win in the 2009 season.

Billy Cundiff - Baltimore Ravens

Mitch Berger - Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl

Sebastian Janikowski has improved his accuracy in long field goal attempts in the past two years since his One on One kicking workout, and has recently signed a multi-million dollar contract with the Raiders. While Jon Ryan performed his best season yet and signed a multi-year contract extension with the Seahawks.

Sebastian Janikowski - Oakland Raiders

Jon Ryan - Seattle Seahawks

Recently NFL greats Gary Anderson, Kevin Butler and Jeff Feagles have brought their sons to me for kicking and punting lessons. I am honored each have entrusted me to work with their sons to carry on the great legacy they have created.

Gary Anderson & Austin Anderson

Kevin and Drew Butler with C.J. and Jeff Feagles

And let’s not forget Garrett Hartley made Super Bowl History with his three ‘40 yards and over’ field goals.

Garrett Hartley - New Orleans Saints

As a football kicking coach having conducted Kicking and Punting Lessons with all of these individuals, I would say the one thing they have in common is each ‘values’ technique. And these specialists have been willing to do whatever it takes to ensure they have the best skills and technique they can for their profession.

Throughout my career, I have worked with many specialists who have been kicking, punting or snapping for years without any formal training. Some of these specialists have even made it into the NFL or other professional teams; and they have achieved their success on sheer determination alone. I am always amazed and impressed by that.

But as someone who has been a kicking coach for over 30 years, I can say with certainty that no matter how far a specialist gets on sheer will, determination and talent, they will always be leaving something behind if they don’t receive proper coaching or instruction to help them refine their skills and technique.

I have seen this time and time again in my One on One Lessons. So often a ‘seasoned’ specialists will tell me, either during the lesson or afterwards, that he now realizes what has been ‘missing’ from his game.

And that is gratifying. It makes me feel I have bought value to this player’s game.

This next year, I am planning on adding more coaching tools in an effort to bring value to specialists at all levels; for those already in the NFL, and those specialist's 'Path to the NFL'.

First, I am currently adding PRO Development Camps in Arizona and Minnesota. Then, over the summer, I will be working on a new book on Kicking and Punting; my goal is to have that ready sometime in spring.

Finally, in the fall, I will be launching a ‘subscription’ base section to my website that will feature training techniques, Webinars, FAQ’s and other tools that will help any specialist improve their game.

Grande Sports World - UFL Training Site

Macalester College Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota

You can go to my website for more information about the PRO Development Camps and One on One Lessons: kicking, punting and snapping.

Also please note, there will be a fee increase for One on One lessons after May 15, 2010. So book now to take advantage of the current prices. Click here for information regarding new pricing for One on One Lessons and Coaching the Coaches Clinics.

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Maver A Hot Commodity

Gryphons' Kicker Maver A Hot Commodity In Upcoming CFL Draft

Article by: The Canadian Press

His 40-yard dash time is just under five seconds and he doesn't possess brute strength but those factors haven't diminished Rob Maver's pro football prospects.... click to read more

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Free Agent Combine Shines

PR Web Article - April 13, 2010

Coach Gary Zauner hosted his 2nd Annual Free Agent Specialists Combine in Phoenix, Arizona with 64 highly regarded kicking specialists showcasing their talent to 31 professional football teams.

Read more at: Coach Zauner's Free Agent Specialists Combine Shines Under The Arizona Sun

Posted using ShareThis

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More Articles on Coach Zauner

Here are a few recent articles about Coach Zauner working with kicking specialists:


From the Morning Call.com - Paul Reinhard

"Just as you are not likely to know the name Butch Harmon or Hank Haney unless you’re big into golf, you probably won’t know Gary Zauner unless kicking footballs is your passion.
Davis Rodriguez likes kicking football more than almost anything else, and during a three-year career at Lafayette, he has made some major contributions to his team’s success".

Read more: Davis Rodriguez Works With Coach Zauner


From the Huskies Football Outsider - Tom Kroeker

Recently, punter/placekicker, Stephen McDonald, and Special Teams Coordinator, Doug Humbert, visited Coach Gary Zauner in Arizona. Gary is viewed by many as the foremost kicking coach in football, having coached for 13 seasons in the NFL (Vikings, Ravens, and Cardinals), and continuing to give individual lessons to kickers from the high school, college, and professional levels.

Read more: Stephen McDonald, And Special Teams Coordinator Doug Humber, Visit Coach Zauner

From the NEMS360.com - Parrish Alford

Bryson Rose could see his opportunity coming, but he wasn't content to sit back and let it come. He wanted to help it along.

Read more: Two-man fight for Ole Miss kicker job

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Stitser & Waters Sign with NFL

Already two weeks after Coach Zauner's 2010 Free Agent Specialists Combine two players have been signed to contracts Clint Stitser, Fresno State and Swayze Waters, University of Alabama Birmingham.

In 2009 Coach Zauner's Free Agent Specialists Combine attracted 41 specialists.

Immediately after the 2010 Combine some players were talked to - see photo below. Shawn Slocum, Special Teams Coordinator for the Green Bay Packers talks to snapper, Zeke Moreno . Other players were called and contacted by phone. A couple of specialists were brought in a week or two later for tryouts.

Weeks and months later some players were signed by NFL, CFL and UFL Teams. In all 17 of the 41 players signed with various professional teams.

During this years event there were 31 professional teams in attendance and 64 kicking specialists showcasing their talents. There were 14 snappers, 21 punters and 29 kickers and kickoff specialists.

In the photo below Scott Cohen, Assistant GM for the New York Jets watches with others to evaluate the kicking talent.

Last Monday the New York Jets brought in two kicking specialists that caught Scott Cohen's eye at the combine to work out for Special Teams Coordinator Mike Westhoff; Jeff Wolfert, University of Missouri and Clint Stitser, Fresno State.

Jeff Wolfert, University of Missouri

Clint Stitser, Fresno State

After the workout Clint Stitser was signed by the New York Jets to compete in camp with Nick Folk for the starting job.

John Fassel, Special Teams Coordinator for the Oakland Raiders evaluates the kicking specialists. John was specifically at the combine looking for a combination kicker/punter to bring to camp to give Shane Lechler and Sebastian Janikowski a rest.

On Wednesday John called me and wanted to know my top five list of combination specialists.

On Friday he called me back and informed me that the Oakland Raiders were going to sign Swayze Waters, University of Alabama Birmingham to a contract next week.

In the above photo Swayze Waters competes with the other 29 kicking specialists. After the field goal section Swayze put on a show hitting a couple of big time punts catching the eye of many of the attending coaches and scouts.

Congratulations to Clint Stitser and Swayze Waters. I wish them the best of luck this year in camp competing for a starting job.

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Free Agent Specialists Combine

Coach Zauner's

2nd Annual Free Agent Specialists Combine

March 27, 2010

Phoenix, Arizona

On March 25 - 26, 2010 fifty six (56) free agent specialists came to Phoenix, Arizona to get evaluated trying to qualify for Coach Zauner's Free Agent Specialists Combine. A total of 87 specialists started out in the event and sixty four (64) made it into Saturday's showcase event.

A total of 24 NFL, 3 CFL (Canadian Football League) and 4 UFL (United Football League) Teams attend the event. It was a good turnout however it was a little disappointing for me that a six NFL and 2 CFL teams did not follow through on their verbal commitments.

On Saturday morning March 27, 2010 at 8:00 am I met with the Special Teams Coordinators, Special Teams Assistants, Pro Personnel Directors and Scouts.

In the photo above I am giving the group profile, background and contact information for all the specialists participating in the event. In this meeting I also went over the top list of sixty four (64) specialists that attended my College Senior Specialists Combine in Phoenix, Arizona February 20-21, 2010.

The event started at 8:45 am with the snappers testing and proceeded through the day with the punters and kickers. The event finished at 5:00 PM.

Following are photo's from the event:

Coaches Evaluate the Snappers

Zeke Moreno, USC - CFL Players and Snapper

Wilson Raynor, East Carolina University Snaps & Blocks

Derrick Frost, NFL Veteran Hits A Big Punt

Aaron Perez, UCLA Punts In Front Of Attending Coaches

Coaches Evaluating the Punting Talent



Packers Personnel Assistant & Shawn Slocum, Special Teams Coordinator


Larry McDuff, UFL Las Vegas and Scottie O'Brien, New England Patriots


Dallas Scout, Steelers and Giants Coaches Grade The Punters


Nick Novak, NFL Veteran Led The Kicking Group

Coaches Seeking Shade To Evaluate Kickers

Coach Zauner Talks To The Group Of 29 Kickers

My Assistants - UFL Coaches Billy Khayat Timing and Steven Hoppe Recording

Nick Schirtzinger, Lynsey Hoppe, Athletic Trainer and Billy Khayat

Phil Grams, DSV Video Consultant

Michelle Zauner, Marty Jessen and Angie Lawrence

Thank You Rayne Water.... for donating 10 cases of water

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