Colorado State University Athletics
Kaylor gets his kicks out of punting
11/5/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 5, 2007
By Stuart Buchanan
Athletic Media Relations
Jimmie Kaylor knew he was going to play college football. He just didn't know what position.
"I wasn't really good at punting until my senior year," Kaylor said of his high school career. "So that kind of blew up with recruiting."
While that added element may have prevented him from starring as a quarterback at another college, no question, it has benefited the Rams.
Through seven games this season, the senior is concluding one of the best careers any punter in CSU history has ever had, and he didn't even punt in the Air Force game.
Kaylor averages 42.5 yards per punt, has kicked seven punts for 50 yards or more with a long of 61, and has eight punts downed inside the 20-yard line, not to mention he found his way onto the watch list for the Ray Guy Award, an honor given to the nation's top collegiate punter.
"It's great," said Kaylor, a liberal arts and business major from Northglenn, Colo. "But I don't really think about awards individually like that."
Kaylor is just like a normal college student when he gets free time.
"I like to hang out," Kaylor said. "I've been watching the Rockies a lot lately, and been playing Playstation."
He has two favorite games: NCAA Football and Tiger Woods.
"Yeah, I like being CSU, I like playing as myself," Kaylor said.
If he keeps playing as well as he can, he'll be playing as himself in Madden, the NFL video game. Kaylor, who is being scouted this season like many other senior punters, hopes to get the invite to February's NFL combine and eventually end up playing on Sundays.
"I'm going to do all I can," Kaylor said. "I'm going to go all out to get invited."
Kaylor is very superstitious and also is a person that doesn't like to break tradition. In other words, he keeps everything the same.
"I wear the same clothes to the stadium every time, same shirt under my pads, and same socks," Kaylor said.
Another ritual he keeps is listening to music before each game. Kaylor's IPod has a variety of music from rap to rock.
"I like some rap stuff like Tupac, and Eminem," Kaylor said. "I like a lot of rock, too. Slightly Stoopid is one of my favorite bands."
The music calming down Kaylor before each game helps him focus on the expectations he set for himself this season.
"Depending on the situation I want to get best kick I can," Kaylor said. "Put it inside the 10, or down the field."
Kaylor definitely accomplished one of his expectations when he punted the ball 61 yards down the field last week at UNLV.
"Yeah, that was a good one," Kaylor said. "I'll take anything over 60."
Kaylor, who grew up loving sports, had always dreamed of playing college football and when it came down to choosing a college, CSU was the obvious choice.
"It was close," Kaylor said. "They were winning 10 games every year, going to bowl games. I liked the coaches a lot, had the best relationships with these guys."
Kaylor believes that if CSU cannot somehow salvage this season, in 2008 the Rams will have a real strong team that will compete for a chance to play in a bowl game and maybe even a MWC championship.
"We have five games left," Kaylor said. "We can turn it around and get these guys going for next year, because I think they are going to have a real good team next year."
