Speed in Skill Positions

[kicker20]

The knock on Notre Dame is the lack of speed players in the skills position. It has been very obvious that we have lacked the ability to make big plays, since the 1995 Team. The worth of athletes such as Golden Tate, Armando Allen the freshman tall wide receiver who is suck a weapon inside the 20yard line, when he throws the corner fade route. This was a route that we had been victim of when a 5'10 corner back on man against a 6'3 receiver. It is so nice to now be on the other side of the coin. You can also see the speed difference on out kickoff and punt return. This speed on offense if forcing the other teams secondary to play farther off the line of scrimmage, this is also an asset to the running game who do not have the safeties playing 5 yards of the ball making it almost an 8 man front.
The praise goes to the great job that the coaches do recruiting. This tread is almost like a plague. Once the best speed athletes start to commit to Notre Dame, the rest will follow. With a young and very talented quarterback stable, the Irish will begin to reload rather than rebuild, year after year.

 

[kmoose]

The knock on Notre Dame is the lack of speed players in the skills position. It has been very obvious that we have lacked the ability to make big plays, since the 1995 Team. The worth of athletes suck as Golden Tate, Armando Allen the freshman tall wide receiver who is suck a weapon inside the 20yardline, when he throws the corner fade route. This was a route that we had been victim of when a 5'10 corner back on man against a 6'3 receiver. It is so nice to now be on the other side of the coin. You can also see the speed difference on out kickoff and punt return. This speed on offense if forcing the other teams secondary to play farther off the line of scrimmage, this is also an asset to the running game who do not have the safeties playing 5 yards of the ball making it almost an 8 man front.
The praise goes to the great job that the coaches do recruiting. This tread is almost like a plague. Once the best speed athletes start to commit to Notre Dame, the rest will follow. With a young and very talented quarterback stable, the Irish will begin to reload rather than rebuild, year after year.

Father Hesburgh called...........after reading this gobbledygook, he would appreciate the return of your degree.

kickers..........

 

[Irishlew]

you graduated from Notre Dame? I'll guess you didn't major in English.

 

[Irishlew]

Father Hesburgh called...........after reading this gobbledygook, he would appreciate the return of your degree.

kickers..........

damn you...you beat me to it...lol

 

[ACamp1900]

you graduated from Notre Dame? I'll guess you didn't major in English.

or at least typing lol

 

[jakerbluegold]

Is your H button out of order?

 

[Irishlew]

Is your H button out of order?

he must have kicked his keyboard one too many times.

 

[kicker20]

or at least typing lol

Actually, my degree was in envy, go figure. Maybe one of you can tell me what it's like to run out the tunnel, and yes I mean when people are there. Spell check is real broken and the screen is blurry from kicking it. It was the first kick that I have made since high school.
Thank you all my still faithful , hate mail sending posse.
Kevin Kopka ( 95-99)

 

[kicker20]

he must have kicked his keyboard one too many times.

Like I said, I kicked the monitor, but this may seem hard to believe, when I went to kick the keyboard, I missed. Now that we are all done taking shots at a former Notre Dame Football Player, or at least I hope so what about the need for speed.
The 2008 recruiting class did not have one player from the state of Florida. Don't misunderstand me, Cali has a lot of athletes to, just look at USC. To be honest in 1995 we played a top 10 ranked USC team at Notre Dame Stadium, we did something that we haven't done since. It was my freshman year , and we beat them at the line of scrimmage, we kept there offense in the back of there 50, due to our better special teams coverage, and the defense with Reno Wynn dominating the center of the LOS. and Shawn Wooden @ Brian McGee shouting down Keyshaun Johnson deep, we won all three phases of the game.
Now after watching the USC @ Notre Dame last year, they only won due to speed and the big plays that come from it. I really feel that we are heading down the right path by rekindling the speed and the big plays that occur.

 

[kmoose]

I went to kick the keyboard, I missed.

I knew you were lying....................you aren't Kevin Kopka, you're Brandon Walker.

 

[Bubba]

Did Lucy pull it out of the way when you tried to kick it?

 

[Bubba]

I re-read that first post about 5 times. When I realized that 'suck' was supposed to be 'such' at the beginning of that post I finally realized you weren't bagging on the players, you were complimenting them. That made all the difference in the world.

 

[kicker20]

I re-read that first post about 5 times. When I realized that 'suck' was supposed to be 'such' at the beginning of that post I finally realized you weren't bagging on the players, you were complimenting them. That made all the difference in the world.

It wasn't Lucy, it was her to best friends that I was *******. j/k. I would never bagg on any player regardless of the situation because it's only a game. A game that I am sure we all live and die for each week.
My opinion about the situation regarding our kickers is complicated. There is a few words of advice I would give to them.
1. Every kick you do in practice should simulate a game. The kicker should have 30 seconds to run from the sideline, line up the holder, and make the kick under a snap and hold in 1.3 sec. This will make them more acustom to game situations
2. Make sure they use the 10ft net at 6 yards to make sure they are getting the initial height needed. There is a portable 2 10ft pieces of pvc pipes with a net raped around it, and if the kick doesn't reach 10ft in 6yds it's blocked.
3. Try to kick in the stadium every day you can. You don't want your home field to be foreign to you.
4. Learn the wind direction in the stadium. The flags at the top of the stadium are not the same direction as field level. The only flag I would use is the U.S. flag. The wind will blow in different directions at different heights and at different yard lines.
5. Find a 10yd area at the practice field and one day flood it with water, the next put mud all over, and even put ice/water. This will allow them to know that they are prepared to kick under any field condition.

Best of luck, GO IRISH,
Kevin Kopka #20

 

[IrishAlum1997]

Anyone else feel uncomfortable that Kevin Kopka thinks he is nailing the friends of a cartoon character?

 

[Junkhead]

It wasn't Lucy, it was her to best friends that I was *******. j/k. I would never bagg on any player regardless of the situation because it's only a game. A game that I am sure we all live and die for each week.
My opinion about the situation regarding our kickers is complicated. There is a few words of advice I would give to them.
1. Every kick you do in practice should simulate a game. The kicker should have 30 seconds to run from the sideline, line up the holder, and make the kick under a snap and hold in 1.3 sec. This will make them more acustom to game situations
2. Make sure they use the 10ft net at 6 yards to make sure they are getting the initial height needed. There is a portable 2 10ft pieces of pvc pipes with a net raped around it, and if the kick doesn't reach 10ft in 6yds it's blocked.
3. Try to kick in the stadium every day you can. You don't want your home field to be foreign to you.
4. Learn the wind direction in the stadium. The flags at the top of the stadium are not the same direction as field level. The only flag I would use is the U.S. flag. The wind will blow in different directions at different heights and at different yard lines.
5. Find a 10yd area at the practice field and one day flood it with water, the next put mud all over, and even put ice/water. This will allow them to know that they are prepared to kick under any field condition.

Best of luck, GO IRISH,
Kevin Kopka #20

Good post! I appreciate the insight, maybe you can volunteer to help coach the kicking team!?

 

[kicker20]

Good post! I appreciate the insight, maybe you can volunteer to help coach the kicking team!?

Thanks for the nice post, but I have had 16 right knee operations. I can hardly walk let alone kick. I did coach at the Notre Dame Kicking Camp when Coach Davie was still there.
Good Luck to the Irish, Kevin

 

[kicker20]

I apologize to any people who found my joke about Lucy's sisters.
Go Irish

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

I apologize to any people who found my joke about Lucy's sisters.
Go Irish

I thought she only had a brother.

So what do you see is wrong with the FG PAT situation? I have agreed with everything you have said, and enjoyed reading your fending off of the swarm.

 

[kicker20]

I thought she only had a brother.

So what do you see is wrong with the FG PAT situation? I have agreed with everything you have said, and enjoyed reading your fending off of the swarm.

I have had to fend off a lot tougher things. Thanks for reading about the kicking situation. Please understand that the coaches may already do these things and in no way am I saying anything negative to the coaching staff. Hears a few more.
1. When either the punter or kickers warm up, They should kick into a soccer net , 3ft a way from the net. This will help teach them to keep their heads down and there eyes on the ball. They will not be in a hurry to see the ball.
2.Mark off with tape their steps for pats, pats and kickoff. Then retake your steps about 100 times and see how many times the take they same steps. This can be done anywhere. If your steps are not consistent, your kicks won't be.
3. Have your punter kicking the ball out of the end zone in a single step and not his normal 2 step approach.
4.Have the punters and kickers practice kicking the ball to different directions. The punter should learn a coffin corner punt. Kicking the ball low, aim for the 10yd line, and to go out of bounce. There is no penalty for punting out off bounce. They also get no return yards. Hunter Smith ( colts) was a master at this.
5. Stretch in the morning, night, and about 5 times during practices.
6. During 3 a day practices, only kick/punt for one practices. By the start of the season, there legs will be dead. A pitcher doesn't throw a full game every day.

Good Luck

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

Are you really who you say you are and willing to open your door when I knock and tell you that I am the agent in charge of fraud against Notre Dame? Are you a saleman?.

SoCal, I think it is time for you to step in.

I can do it for you, but you have to pay cash. About 25 mil a week.

Just kidding.

I just felt like feeling tough

 

[kicker20]

Are you really who you say you are and willing to open your door when I knock and tell you that I am the agent in charge of fraud against Notre Dame? Are you a saleman?.

SoCal, I think it is time for you to step in.

I can do it for you, but you have to pay cash. About 25 mil a week.

Just kidding.

I just felt like feeling tough

My real name is William Wallace.
I am Kevin Kopka. You can come to Hollywood, FL anytime, knock on my door, and we can talk football.

 

[Junkhead]

My real name is William Wallace. I am Kevin Kopka.

I'm lost.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

My real name is William Wallace.
I am Kevin Kopka. You can come to Hollywood, FL anytime, knock on my door, and we can talk football.

LOL. Don't make any promises you won't keep. If I show up at your door, we will talk football for about one month. How is Brian?

I really appreciate your insight. Very exciting stuff to read.

Thanks.

I don't know how to give posters little green dots, but if I did, I would send you one.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

Kicker 20: By the way, you did not answer what you have noticed that may be causing ND's kicking woes. I have already stated my observation on a post somewhere. What is your observation? I understand that your response to my question was a positive action one, but have you noticed anything concrete that is causing the problem?

I have.

 

[kicker20]

Kicker 20: By the way, you did not answer what you have noticed that may be causing ND's kicking woes. I have already stated my observation on a post somewhere. What is your observation? I understand that your response to my question was a positive action one, but have you noticed anything concrete that is causing the problem?

I have.

Why don't you tell me what problems you see and I will write back in response. I would be happy to throw out some strategic and fundamental areas we can improve on. I won't post comments that are negative and without merit to insult the team.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

Why don't you tell me what problems you see and I will write back in response. I would be happy to throw out some strategic and fundamental areas we can improve on. I won't post comments that are negative and without merit to insult the team.

Snapper is often innacurate. Holder is shocked to catch an inacurrate snap and adjust entire body in order to catch snap and place ball in a position where kicker feels confident enough to adjust body and history of his own family and history of ND and worldwide audience in order to kick ball between goalpost.

 

[kicker20]

You brought up a great point about the other factors that effect a kick. If I was their coach, 1.I would practice a bad ball drill on different field conditions. I would be the holder, bounce the ball on the ground to simulate a snap. The kicker would then take his approach and I would give him bad holds. I would repeat this on wet grass, mud, snow, etc.. so mentally the kicker won't panic if this occurs in a game.
2. I would have them kick in the stadium during practice. Their home field should not be foreign to them. Once the have kicked in the stadium a few times, they will know that they have made a kick from every spot on that field. So when they have to kick a game winner, they have the confidence that they have already made a fieldgoal from this spot.
I have about 50 more drills, but I can assure you it will be slow reading.

 

[kicker20]

Father Hesburgh called...........after reading this gobbledygook, he would appreciate the return of your degree.

kickers..........

you graduated from Notre Dame? I'll guess you didn't major in English.

he must have kicked his keyboard one too many times.

To be honest, I didn't think of it as a common practice to insult Notre Dame fans let alone it's players. It is due to comments like this that deter other players from giving their opinions. I am sure all the comments above were meant in good faith. Sometimes it is hard to tell the true intent of a negative comment.

 

[irish4ever]

or at least typing lol

In today's everyday environment spelling doesn't count!