What Signing This Former South Carolina Punter Will Bring to the Saints
If you are a longtime New Orleans Saints fan, you can probably recall every moment during the game that resulted in their only Super Bowl win. You have likely re-watched the highlight on YouTube, own a baseball cap commemorating the victory, and boast about it to anyone you see wearing an Indianapolis Colts jersey. Do you remember the factor or event that helped the Saints? Aside from QB Drew Brees's incredible focus and awareness in all four quarters, some analysts will claim that it was the call by Coach Sean Payton for an onside kick by Thomas Morstead and recovery by Chris Reis to start the second half. This unusual yet effective play caught the Colts off guard, allowing the Saints to regain possession of the ball instead of giving it to their competitor. Although this put a lot of pressure on Morstead to accurately complete this maneuver, his success reminded fans of the importance of the punter. The current coaching staff wanted to prove the value they place on this position, which is why this week they signed Kai Kroeger to their roster.
Kai Kroeger's career playing professional football officially began a couple of months ago when he was signed as an undrafted free agent with the New York Jets. However, he was waived during the last week of July and, a few days later, was signed by the New Orleans Saints. His experience as a punter began in 2020 when he enrolled as a freshman at the University of South Carolina. In his first year, he punted 39 times in his 10 games for a total of 1,690 yards as a member of the Gamecocks. Kai would follow this with two appearances in bowl games in 2021 with 59 punts in 13 games for 2,534 yards and in 2022 with 58 punts in 13 games for 2,675 yards. His final two seasons would result in 109 punts over 25 games for a combined yardage of 4,924 or an average of 45.5 yards per punt. Overall, Mr. Kroeger's career average of yards per punt would equal 44.6 yards, with the impressive accolade of this amount being second-best in that school's history.
As a football fan, it's easy to overlook the punter. You see him kick the ball to start the game, and he returns to the sideline to disappear among the other players. If your team went through all of their downs and now has to give up control of the ball, you associate this with a disappointing performance from the offense. For the Saints looking to the upcoming season, they want to have a punter who not only is accurate in his aim but can consistently get it down the field. How many outcomes of games have been decided by a three-pointer in the final two seconds of regulation play? When that deciding moment comes, you'll want a player who can be consistent, especially if the uprights are 44 yards away. Kai Kroeger will now be responsible for this as a New Orleans Saint.
