Tag: Shane Lechler

Former Texas A&M Punter Shane Lechler listed as one the best late round NFL Draft picks

According to ESPN, Texas A&M legend and former punter Shane Lechler recognized as one of the greatest late round draft picks

Texas A&M has achieved their well-known status at “Punter U” for over two decades now, producing some of the best at the position year after year, and while current New York Jets’ punter Braden Mann is the most recent success story to leave the program in record fashion, former Aggies punter Shane Lechler set the standard or more way than one.

On Wednesday, ESPN released an article detailing the best late-round draft picks in every Power 5 program’s history, and for Texas A&M, Shane Lechler, who was drafted in the 5th round with the 142nd pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, edged out current Dallas Cowboys starting safety Donovan Wilson, who was a 6th round pick, and former Texas A&M/ Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver/return specialist Dante Hall, who was a 5th round pick. According to ESPN writer Alex Scarborough, Lechler’s Hall of Fame career with the then Oakland Raiders and Houston Texans what just too impressive to avoid recognition.

“It’s tempting to claim Dante Hall here. He made two Pro Bowls and played in the NFL for nine seasons. Lechler, on the other hand, made seven Pro Bowls, was a nine-time All-Pro and a member of the NFL All-Decade Team for the 2000s and the 2010s. So don’t give me the whole “but he’s a punter” criticism. He had an incredible career.”

From 1996-1999, Lechler recorded 11,977 punting yards on 268 punts, for an average of 44.7 yards per punt in 48 total games, which still stands as the NCAA record career average. During his senior season, he averaged 46.5 yards per punt and was named an AP First Team All-American, which stands as second in the NCAA record book behind his 1997 sophomore season 47.0-yard average.

After being drafted by the Oakland Raiders, now the Las Vegas Raiders, Lechler spent 13 seasons with the Franchise, leading the league in punt yards in three seasons, and punt yard average in five seasons, including an incredible 51.0-yard average during the 2009 campaign. Lechler would leave the Raiders and sign a three-year deal with the Houston Texans at the beginning of the 2013 season, where his career continued to produce results year after year, and after retiring after the 2017 season, Lechler’s 47.6 punt-yard average still stands as an NFL Record. What a career for one of the best players to ever kick a football at any level.

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Shane Lechler among 10 Raiders nominees for Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2023

10 Raiders nominated for Hall of Fame including Shane Lechler

Tuesday the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced their 129 nominees for the class of 2023. Among those nominees are ten players who at one time suited up in Silver & Black.

Those nominees are as follows:

CB Eric Allen
LB Navorro Bowman
DI La’Roi Glover
P Shane Lechler
CB Albert Lewis
CB Terry McDaniel
WR Andre Rison
ED Pat Swilling
ED Justin Tuck
G Steve Wisniewski

This is Lechler’s first year of eligibility, and thus his first time among the nominees. He is quite possibly the most deserving of the Raiders legends on this list as his career numbers put him as the best punter in NFL history.

Punters have notoriously had a difficult time getting the call to Canton. Ray Guy has long been widely considered the most legendary punter in the game, but even he was unable to get in until the Senior Committee named him a finalist some 23 years after his first year of eligibility.

Several other names on this list have been among the nominees for several years only to be knocked off as they trimmed the list to get to the handful of inductees.

Raiders P AJ Cole went from lining up job outside football to one of NFL’s top punters

Raiders P AJ Cole went from lining up job outside football to one of NFL’s top punters

AJ Cole wasn’t expecting to make it in NFL. Now he’s chasing an NFL record.

Thursday was a banner day for the Raiders kick squad. Both kicker Daniel Carlson and punter AJ Cole signed four-year extensions with the team. Two men whose NFL career began in very different ways are now set for years as one of the league’s top duos.

While Carlson was a fifth-round pick – which is a high selection for a special teamer – Cole’s NFL career almost didn’t happen at all. In fact, he came to the Raiders trying to beat out their own fifth-round pick, Johnny Townsend. Not a recipe for success in most cases.

In addition, Cole had already been turned away by other NFL teams and was only in Oakland as a minicamp tryout. It was his basically he makes this team or he starts life outside of football.

“There was definitely some times when it was dark for me when I just wasn’t getting the opportunities that I wanted. When I really just had to ask myself am I good enough, is this really worth it to just keep pushing and keep going on,” said Cole. 

“Just so thankful to be here because there were definitely some times when I didn’t think I was good enough. Where I really felt like hanging it up. I was just talking earlier when I came to the tryout in 2019, I had a job lined up with IBM. That’s how little confidence I kind of had in the process. Not just that I didn’t believe in myself, it’s just so hard to make it.

There’s 32 of these jobs in the world and there are so many talented guys out there. I just think in order to make it in this business you have to be good and really lucky and I’ve been both of those things. I’ve just been so blessed and thankful for everything I’ve been through.”

Cole would first make the offseason roster, giving him his first step in proving he belonged. He would then beat out Townsend who was the incumbent punter. At which point he needed to prove to the Raiders that he was more than just a placeholder.

Now in his third year, Cole has not only proven his worth – both as a punter and a holder for field goals – he is staring down NFL greatness.

Currently, Cole is averaging 51.1 yards per punt which, if he could maintain it, would finish him tied for second in NFL history with none other than former Raiders great Shane Lechler. The only average better belonged to Sammy Baugh (52.9).

For Cole, though, he’s all about the net average. That and simply pinning the opposing team near their own goal line.

“I don’t really look at the gross so much, I’m really working on the net,” said Cole. “And really at the end of the day, my job whenever I go out there is to start the defense as close to the goal line as possible. That’s my number one priority. My number one priority is putting the defense in the best position to go out there and win games. So, if we punt from the 40-yard-line the rest of the season, that’s what it’s going to be. I’m not out there chasing that because that’s not my ultimate goal. I don’t think it’s too much of a big deal.”

At this moment Cole’s net average sits at 42.8 which isn’t top five in the NFL in the category but would be the second-best net average in a season in Raiders history. Lechler, of course, has the record with his 2009 season at 43.85 net yards per punt.

And let us also not forget his holding work which has helped Carlson to have two fantastic seasons and thus the reason the two sat at the podium together on Thursday to discuss their four-year extensions. As Cole said, “A rising tide raises all boats.”

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