(AP Image)
The Washington Redskins added great competition at kicker, an oft-forgotten position by many, last weekend during the NFL Draft.
Wanting to beef up to beef up the depth chart at every position, Bruce Allen, general manager, and Co. drafted Zach Hocker, the first kicker selected in the annual event by the Redskins in 15 years.
“Ben Kotwica (special teams coordinator) did a good job once again of scouting all of the punters and placekickers in the draft [and] he felt (Hocker) had a chance to compete,” Allen told ESPN 980 earlier this week. “Yes at kickoffs, and yes, also at field goals. Kai’s obviously been a very consistent kicker for us ever since we got him, but like every other position on this team, we have to have competition because that’s the only way we get better.”
Returnee Kai Forbath and Hocker provide an impressive one-two kick for the burgundy and gold.
Forbath’s success has been well documented.As you may recall, the former UCLA Bruin set the NFL record for most field goals made in a row to start a career with 16. He was a fantastic find in the middle of the 2012 season to remedy the kicking game woes. We’re here today to help document the football career of Zach Hocker.
At Russellville High School, located in the heart of Arkansas, Hocker’s clutch gene was born. In the following video, an adolescent Hocker nails a 49-yard field goal to give his school a three-point lead going into halftime.
He also nailed this field goal attempt from distance:
Of course there’d be no NFL if he didn’t attend Arkansas. During his time with the SEC power, Hocker appeared in 50 games where he connect on 61 field goal tries and 171 extra-point tries. He holds the Razorbacks’ record for most points by a kicker with 354.
He showed off his powerful leg (converted on three tries of 50 yards or longer last season) earlier this year:
Also, just to show the importance of Forbath and Hocker, the Redskins have played in 24 games over the last five seasons where the final score was a difference of three points or less.
