In case people already didn’t know, the Chicago Bears kicking competition is not some sideshow event. The team is taking this thing quite seriously. Not a big surprise considering that position cost them a chance at a Super Bowl last year with Cody Parkey‘s infamous double doink. Head coach Matt Nagy got straight to work on that process in the first rookie minicamp practice.
After the usual practice kicks over the course of drills, Nagy set up a rather cutthroat situation. All eight of the kickers in attendance would be set up from 43 yards out. The entire team present would watch. They had one shot to make it or miss it. Just like a playoff scenario. All told, two of the eight kickers managed to successfully convert their kicks.
This was not a death sentence for the other six who didn’t, but it was important data to collect. One man who undoubtedly helped set that competition up was the teams’ new kicking consultant, Jamie Kohl.
Jamie Kohl is perfect man to run Chicago Bears kicking competition
People may laugh at the idea of the Bears hiring a consultant for something like this. They shouldn’t. Kohl is highly respected both in the NFL and college communities for his work on both kickers and punters over the past two decades. Here’s what his bio says on his business’ website.
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“Coach Jamie Kohl is the director for Kohl’s Professional Camps. He trains many current NFL starters and ranks athletes nationally for Kohl’s and ESPN. He started Kohl’s camps with his father John Kohl and brother Andy Kohl in 2000 and is widely viewed as the most credible source for NFL and college coaches.”
That’s not just a random boast either. Several kickers who came through his camp over the years have gone on to have significant NFL success. Dustin Hopkins was a 6th round pick in 2013 and has connected on over 85% of his kicks since joining the Washington Redskins four years ago.
Harrison Butker was a 7th round choice. He ended up in Kansas City after being cut by Carolina and has hit 62-of-69 field goal attempts over the past two years. Then there’s Jake Elliott, a former 5th round pick scooped up by Philadelphia in 2017. He played a pivotal role in their run to a Super Bowl title including a 61-yard game-winner to beat the Giants.
Kohl knows what good kickers are supposed to look like. He’s the perfect man to help Nagy and Ryan Pace figure out who is best suited to fill that void left a smoking ruin by Parkey months ago.
