Okay, so the other day I got to thinking about some of the standout special teams players from back in the day, and the name Todd Sauerbrun popped into my head. Remember him? Big leg punter. I got kinda curious about what made him so good, beyond just the stats, so I decided to spend some time really digging into it.
First thing I did was pull up his career numbers. You know, the usual stuff:
- Punting yards
- Averages (gross and net)
- Pro Bowl appearances
- All-Pro selections
Seeing those stats laid out reminded me just how dominant he was for a stretch there, especially during his time with Carolina and later Denver. He was definitely one of the top guys at his position.
Watching the Tape (Sort Of)
Stats are one thing, but I wanted to actually see how he played. So, my next step was hitting up the internet archives, looking for old game footage or highlight reels. It wasn’t super easy, finding specific punting clips from like 15-20 years ago, but I managed to find some decent bits.
I spent a good chunk of an afternoon just watching his form. What I noticed:
- Powerful leg swing: It looked really explosive through the ball. Not just technique, but raw power seemed like a big part of it.
- Hang Time: He often seemed to get great hang time, which is obviously huge for coverage units.
- Directional Punting: Tried to see if I could pick up on his directional control, pinning teams deep or near the sidelines. Saw some good examples of that.
The Other Side of Things
Of course, when you start digging into Sauerbrun’s career, you inevitably run into the off-field stuff. I remembered the suspension for using ephedra, which was a big deal back then. Reading up on it again, and some of the later issues he had, definitely adds another layer to his story. It wasn’t just about kicking a football.
So, yeah, that was my little project. Started with just remembering a name, then spent a few hours doing the research, watching clips, and reading old articles. It wasn’t about learning to punt like him – my kicking days, if they ever existed, are long gone! It was more about the practice of dissecting a player’s game and career arc. Just spending time to understand what made someone notable, both the good and the bad. It’s always interesting to revisit these careers and see them with a bit more perspective.
