Coach Zauner's Blog...: Aldrick Rosas New York Giants Kicker

Aldrick Rosas New York Giants Kicker

Aldrick Rosas 2016 College Senior Combine

I first met Aldrick Rosas at my January 22-24, 2016 Specialists PRO Development Camp here in Fountain Hills, Arizona. My first reaction was what a leg!

He was kicking the ball higher and further than any of the other kickers attending this camp. During the next four practices, the only thing I was trying to tell him is he needed to work on being more consistent on his field goals. His misses were in my opinion too big.

When it came to kickoffs there was no question he had a big leg. His kickoff hang times were excellent. He registered a bunch of 4.2 to 4.5 second hang time kickoffs.

Previously to meeting him at the January camp we had talked by phone about him contacting the NFL office and registering to enter the 2016 NFL Draft. Being just a sophomore he needed to register for the NFL Draft.

Despite submitting his letter to enter the Draft and being accepted, he was going to be a real sleeper. As I told him, his exposure at this point was going to be very limited. With only two years of kicking in college not many NFL Teams were going to know much about him.

So, my recommendation was to come to Coach Zauner's 2016 College Senior Combine and show everyone how he would measure up to the rest of the draft eligible college senior kickers.

My evaluation was, here is a young man with a lot of NFL Potential. Two weeks after my College Senior Combine I host Coach Zauner's Free Agent Specialists Combine. This Free Agent Combine is attended every year in March, by many of the NFL Special Teams Coordinators and PRO Personnel Directors.

Aldrick was one of the specialists I recommended to the NFL coaches as a player with extreme amount of potential but needed some coaching. Like most kickers with big legs he was going to need to learn to be more consistent field goal kickers.

It was pretty much the same thing I told Brandon McManus (Temple University) his senior year when he came out for the 2013 NFL Draft. Brandon also attended a PRO Development Camp for Specialists but his was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in July of 2012. I also had an opportunity to work with Brandon at the 2013 NFLPA Bowl.

Brandon was also a kicker with a big leg that also needed some coaching and refinement. For two years Brandon was signed and released by NFL Teams. Eventually, he made it with the Denver Broncos and is still kicking there to date.

During the three day College Senior Combine Aldrick competed with some other big legged kickers. On Sunday Aldrick and Devon Bell (Mississippi State) won the Combines Kickoff Contest.

I told Aldrick his story was going to be very similar to Brandon McManus. He just needed for some NFL coach or team to take a chance on him and try to develop his skills. After the 2016 NFL Draft he was signed by the Tennessee Titans.

Steve Hoffman the Titans Assistant Special Teams and kicking coach did an excellent job working with Aldrick on his technique. Despite being release he made some excellent strides to improve his technique and consistency.

In 2017 the Giants signed Aldrick to a futures contract. In 2017 Aldrick made the final roster with the New York Giants and is still kicking for the Giants. Congrats to Aldrick for his hard work and dedication to kicking. His path to the NFL was not a normal or easy path.