The Badger Herald

SPORTS

Punter kicks his way to Green Bay

JAKE NAUGHTON/Herald photo

Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.

Also by Tyler Mason:

Favre still at risk for Madden jinx (April 28, 2008)
Hockey announces 6 newest members (April 22, 2008)
UW hockey in good hands with Street, Geoffrion (April 21, 2008)

by Tyler Mason

Thursday, May 1, 2008

With his Green Bay Packers T-shirt and Packers blanket hanging as a wall decoration in his campus home, it’s easy to see that Kenny DeBauche bleeds green-and-gold.

So when a call from the Packer organization came around 6 p.m. Sunday, the voice on the other end brought nothing but good news for the former Wisconsin punter. Shortly after the 2008 NFL Draft had ended, Green Bay signed DeBauche to a free agent contract.

“I really want this to work out for a number of reasons, but one of the reasons is if I make the team, get the starting spot, then I won’t have to change my wardrobe much,” DeBauche joked.

As a native of Suamico and graduate of Bay Port High School, DeBauche’s days as a Cheesehead date far enough back to the pre-Favre era, when Don Majkowski was the team’s quarterback.

“I remember the ‘Majik man’,” DeBauche said. “There was never a time that I can remember that I haven’t been a Packer fan.”

And if things go his way, DeBauche will have the chance to go from a fan in the stands to a player on the field.

DeBauche admittedly didn’t watch much of the draft. Not expected to be chosen in any of the seven rounds — only one punter was — DeBauche instead opted to spend time with family and friends and catch up on what was going on back home in Green Bay.

It didn’t come as much of a surprise when his name was never called, nor was it when the names of a few of his former Wisconsin teammates were.

“I knew going in that that would be the case,” DeBauche said. “I knew that Taylor (Mehlhaff) was probably going to be one of the top kickers taken if there was any kickers taken, and he was. …When that happened, I just realized that I’m in a different situation than these guys are, but something good will still happen.”

An elite kicking tandem

Mehlhaff, a three-year starter as the Badgers’ kicker, certainly had a different experience on draft day than DeBauche. He was taken by New Orleans with the 178th overall pick in the sixth round.

The kicking duo remained close through their playing days at UW, with their friendship continuing all the way up to draft day.

“We’ve been working out together ever since the bowl game leading up to Pro Day,” DeBauche said. “Taylor went to the Combine in Indianapolis, so we were working toward that. We worked toward Pro Day, and we always lift and work out at the stadium together and kick and punt.”

The Saints’ special teams coach worked with both Mehlhaff and DeBauche prior to the draft. The tandem also spent time down in Arizona working with Gary Zauner, a kicking and punting specialist and former special teams coach for 13 seasons with the Vikings, Ravens and Cardinals.

“We went out there for three days in Arizona and kicked and punted,” DeBauche said. “That was a good experience.

“Ever since Taylor’s been in school at Wisconsin — he came here a year after I did — we’ve pretty much been doing everything together. Nothing’s changed.”

But with Mehlhaff going to New Orleans and DeBauche to Green Bay, the two will don different jerseys for the first time in four years.

“Now that we’re on different teams, we’ll probably have to split up a little bit, I guess,” DeBauche said.

Mehlhaff was able to hear his name called on TV Sunday; DeBauche wasn’t. But that didn’t mean the punter was left in the dark as to where he might end up.

“During the draft, while the draft was still happening, I was in contact and talking to the Packers,” DeBauche said. “So once the draft was done, it was bang-bang, everything was done. I signed, and that’s it.”

Although they were the ones to finally pull the trigger on a deal, Green Bay wasn’t the only team to express interest in DeBauche, he said. Several teams kept in touch with him prior to draft day — and one even tried to get him after he was already with the Packers.

“The Lions talked to me the day after, on Monday, but that was obviously after I had signed,” DeBauche said. “I talked to some teams leading up to the draft. I’m not really sure what teams contacted my agent (Peter Schaffer). Once Green Bay was in the picture, we knew that that’s what we wanted, that that would be the best situation.”

Proving his worth

For any NFL rookie, making a roster is not guaranteed. Even the highly paid first round draft picks still have their work cut out for them before they’re on the team.

So for a free-agent punter trying to make a team that already has two punters, the challenge is even greater.

Aware of the road that lies ahead of him, DeBauche knows he’ll have to demonstrate for the Green Bay coaches that what he did at Camp Randall Stadium is good enough for Lambeau Field.

In fact, the contract he signed doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a part of the team; it merely gives him the chance to show what he can do.

“There isn’t much that’s guaranteed in the NFL,” DeBauche said. “Right now, it’s guaranteed that I get to go up for the training camp this weekend and get to start competing for a spot. This is a rookie mini-camp, so I think I’ll be the only punter there.”

DeBauche is just the latest in a handful of Badgers to try out for the Packers. Last year, quarterback John Stocco went as a free agent on waivers to try and make the team. Following his unsuccessful tryout, he’s now playing football in Italy.

A few years earlier, Kevin Stemke, another former UW punter, tried his hand at making the Packers. He’s now on the St. Louis Rams.

“I’m expecting this to be the NFL. Nothing’s going to be handed to me,” DeBauche said. “I’ll have to go there right away and punt my best. … I don’t want to call it work, because it never will be work for me. And hopefully I won’t have to work ever, I’ll just keep playing football.”

If he does keep playing football as a member of the Packers, he’ll be living out the dream he’s had since a child in the stands of the Frozen Tundra.

“All I wanted was a chance; I wanted to get my foot in the door,” DeBauche said of his contract.

“Lambeau’s only 15 minutes from my house. I’ve grown up a Packer fan. Everybody in my family’s a Packer fan. So it just seems like it was supposed to be this way.”

Feedback

Show all comments

Hide anonymous comments

Anonymous (May 2, 2008 @ 8:26am):

We're pulling for ya! You GO!!

Add a comment

We welcome your thoughts, but please keep your feedback thoughtful, on-topic and respectful. Offensive language, personal attacks, or irrelevant comments may be deleted.