TSR’s Punter of the Week
Andy Lee – San Francisco 49ers
Who is he?
After a stellar college career playing on solid Walt Harris-coached teams at Pitt, Lee was taken by the Niners in the sixth-round of the 2004 NFL draft. He’s become one of the best punters in the history of the NFL while playing every single regular season game since winning the punting job as a rookie. Now in his ninth season, Lee has only been blocked three times while launching 731 regular season punts. He’s made the Pro Bowl three times. Lee’s 2011 season was off the charts. His 44.0 net yardage per punt last year is a NFL single season record. Last season’s 50.9 yards per punt gross is pretty amazing, too, given the swirling winds that are famous at the Stick. Before the current season, Lee signed a six-year extension worth $20.5 million on top of the $1.1 mil he was set to earn this year. It’s not all guaranteed obviously, but assuming Lee stays healthy, he’ll likely be right up there with Shane Lechler as the highest paid punter in the sport. Lee is moderately active on Twitter. He has expressed fondness for In-N-Out burgers, playing golf and reading the bible. On May 9, 2012, Lee issued this tweet: “I wish fingernails would just stay at a perfect length of pretty much nothing and not grow!”
Lee’s stat line against the Lions on 9-16-12:
3 punts. 109 yards total. Avg. 36.3 yards per. 33.0 net.
The punts in detail:
1. Lee’s first punt came late in the first quarter. He stepped onto the field wearing a white, long-sleeved undershirt below his jersey. Lee wears uniform number 4, the same numeral favored by 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh during his playing days. Lee’s right thumb was heavily wrapped for this game. White medical tape criss-crossed his hand and thumb to secure a thin splint aimed at projecting an injury suffered during the opener in Green Bay. Lee dove with hands extended at Randall Cobb during a failed, last-ditch attempt to stop Cobb’s 75-yard punt return for a TD. On the NBC broadcast of Sunday night’s Niners/Lions tilt, Cris Collinsworth said Lee’s injury may be more serious than the team and player is letting on. “I don’t think he’ll (Lee) admit it, but I think he has a broken thumb,” said Collinsworth who later noted that Lee appeared bothered with pain while holding for practice kicks by teammate David Akers before the game. From my vantage point watching on television, Lee did indeed seem a bit distracted by pain in his right hand. He rubbed it. But it didn’t impact his execution. His first punt was a boomer. After three unhurried steps forward with the ball, Lee launched it high and far. 52-yards gross. 42-yards net. Niners cover man CJ Spillman missed a tackle on the play. That allowed a ten-yard return which was later negated on a block-above-the-waist call on the Lions.
2. With three and a half minutes gone in the second quarter, Lee came on for a pooch. Unshaven and lanky, Lee had to tilt his frame left to field the snap. It was 4th and 5 on the Detroit 39 which made it fake punt territory. But Lee is solid on the pin job so he put it up. It landed in the hands of Lions returner Stefan Logan at the 14 yard line. Not ideal considering Lee punted the ball from midfield. You’d want it a little closer to the goal line without going in, if possible. Harbaugh could be seen mouthing the words: “Damn. That sucked.” It’s not clear if he was reacting to the punt – or the stalled drive that led to it. Call it a 25-yard punt. Same on the net.
3. Lee’s third and final punt came with a couple minutes left in the first half. There was more hand licking for grip purposes. It was a pooch from about the same spot Lee punted the earlier softie. This one was better. Logan downed it at the 9 after signaling fair catch. 32 yard punt. 32 yard net. The nose of the football was pointing straight down when Lee struck it. That would have created backspin had Logan let it hit the ground.
The Sound of a Punt:
There are few broadcasters better than Niners play-by-play man Ted Robinson. TSR had the good fortune of meeting Robinson on the 7 train after a Met game a few years ago and he was as nice as can be. The clip below is Robinson’s KGO-AM call of Lee’s third punt which effectively stuck the Lions deep in their own zone. Robinson is joined in the radio booth this year for the first time by ex-Niner Eric Davis. I should point out that I was up late the night before this game watching the PAC-10 Network’s telecast of UCLA/Houston at the Rose Bowl. It was Ted Robinson who called that game, too. I can only assume Ted rose early on Sunday with little sleep to make the trip up the coast for a kickoff that came less than seven hours after the UCLA game ended.
The Punt-osis:
At the age of 30, Lee has quietly joined Shane Lechler as the best punter in the NFL. It’s nice he’s now locked in for a long time to come contractually. Lee fits perfectly with a Niners team that fights stout field position battles week-in, week-out. Both the team and the punter are a pleasure to watch. Harbaugh loves Lee and likely had a big say in the rich deal inked by Lee. The Niners need to abandon the ridiculous dance routine performed before kickoffs. It caused them to go offisides on the second boot by David Akers. Lee’s insistence he’d play through the thumb injury says lots about his toughness. As the holder on the record-tying 63-year-yard Akers field goal in Green Bay, Lee added another distinction to an already great career. There’s little doubt Lee will be around a long time if he can keep his lower extremities out of harm’s way.
Next week’s Punter of the Week: Steve Weatherford – New York Giants