K Connor Hughes Signed
 

being reported on SR as on nfldraftcoutdown.com but I don't see it. Anyone?

RE: K Connor Hughes Signed
 

KFFL is usually the one who reports everything first... if its not on there, then its most likely not true....

maybe it was this-

They did not release all the undrafted free agents they had acquired after the draft because the commitments are not official yet. But they did reveal that the group includes three linebackers (a position that was not addressed in the draft), a kicker, a punter and Grambling quarterback Bruce Eugene.

http://www.nola.com/saints/t-p/index...8633382840.xml

Tell me its true . . . show me where to find it.

It would be great if its true. I was waiting to see that pick with our last pick in the draft. Will be overly excited if signed. Good bye Carney!!!

http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CDP%2FMGArticle%2FCDP_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137835693077&path=!sports

IT IS TRUE Looks like this guy may be the real deal . . .

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please oh please beat out Carney.

Since when was Carney legendary? Infamous maybe.

Great pick up. Carney has missed so many momentum crushing kicks in recent years that it is time for him to go. See ya John

He was good in his youth but the leg needs to be retired

I appreciate whatever good Carney contributed. It is quite an exciting out with the old and in with the new transformation going on though! I would rather a strong legged yougster with upside than to have to watch Carney continue to decline. Pullin' for ya Connor!

With Bush-N-Brees onboard doncha think there is some great positive momo on what is happening here. Players will want to come here as a first choice to get on the train of opportunity on the way to success.

John was a really great kicker. We just can't count on him to deliver the game. It's time for a change at the position. If the kid has some range and keeps cool under pressure then I'm pleased.

Love the pickup... Hughes has a powerful leg. He needs to work on his accuracy a bit but I love his upside.

Yeah, I like the pick also. Some people were calling for us to get a kicker in the 7th round, looks like we got one without using a draft pick. Carney was good a couple years ago but his time is past and we need to move on.

Here's a little scouting report on him:

Few things:

Love that he's accurate. I would prefer a guy who is accurate but can't kick it 60 yards over a guy who can kick it out of the stadium but doesn't know where it's going.

Also, high character guy? Anybody notice a trend?

Scouting report is kind of weird... I've seen him make numerous of 60 yard kicks during warmups. 40 yards in he's very good... outside of that he's a little iffy.

Where did he go to school? Maybe the dome will help him.

At Virginia... Domes are kickers' best friends.

more-
Strengths:
Has a pretty strong leg with range beyond 50 yards...Was very reliable and consistent...Doesn't miss the short ones...Experienced and a four-year starter.

Weaknesses:
Accuracy beyond 40 yards gets a little dodgy...Mechanics on longer kicks change for the worse...Is not very big...Probably won't be able to kick-off in the pros.

Notes:
Career long is a 50-yarder which he attained five times...Went 66 for 79 (84%) in his career on field goals...A solid player who makes the kicks he is supposed to.

Height: 5'10
Weight: 172lbs.
College: Virginia
Bio: Best kicker in this years draft. Known mostly for his accuracy but can also hit the long ball when called upon. Will mostly likely find his name being called on day one.


What kind of exercises do you do to help strengthen your kicking leg?
I run some and all throughout college I just did the same weight program as the rest of the team. Other than that nothing special. I feel I have been truly blessed by God and put in the situations that He has had in store for me. To kick well is to praise His Name for me. Colossians 3:17

What goes through your head just before you make a kick?
Well just before I take the kick I just make sure I line up right and right before I kick I don’t think much of anything goes through my head. But after the ball comes off of my foot and I know it is in I usually look away before I even see the ball go through the posts.

What's the worst kind of weather to kick in?
Windy. No doubt. Rain isn’t as bad as wind.

What's the longest field goat you've ever made in a game?
I made a 53 yarder once or twice. Its also the longest I have ever attempted. I made it against Wake Forest my sophomore year to tie the game up in the last minute. Then was blessed again by getting the chance to win the game with seconds left.

What would you say is the strongest aspect of your game....your strong leg or accuracy?
I would say accuracy. I feel I have a pretty strong leg. Strong enough to make long field goals, but many kickers have a strong leg. So I think accuracy has separated me from others throughout college.

Can you handle kick off duties in the NFL?
I definitely feel I can. At UVA we always had Kurt Smith who was great at kickoffs. It is not that I couldn't’t do it but that the team benefited most by him handling the duties. I am confident I will be able to kickoff in the NFL. It was one of my favorite things to do in High School but I only got a chance to do it once in a game here at UVA.

Of all the missed field goals in your career is there one you wish you could have back more than any other?
I would have to say there is. The one this year I missed against North Carolina. It was an easy kick and it would have really helped the team. But in retrospect it taught me a lot about being a really good and really accurate kicker. SO I wouldn't’t take it back as much as I wish I had made it.

Do you prefer to have a QB hold for you or a punter?, and how important is the kicker/holder relationship?
I don’t really care between the two of them. I want the best holder possible to hold it for me. If it is an Offensive Guard, then let him do it. The relationship I do fell is pretty important and I have had a great relationship with both guys who held for me here at UVA- Matt Schaub and John Phillips. The other relationship people overlook is that of the long snapper and holder. That is huge as well. It is great to have a really solid unit like Tyrus Gardner and John Phillips.

Is there really any excuse for a kicker to miss an extra point, assuming its not blocked or there's a bad snap?
I guess if you are in the middle of a hurricane

How did you become a kicker?
I made a deal with one of my friends and teammates in high school Kase Luzar. If I kicked for the football team he would play goalkeeper for the soccer team. I was a freshman and he was a senior and so I did it along the lines that if I wasn’t terrible I would do it and He ended up running track in the spring instead.
I was not happy

Do you have any rituals you go through before making a kick or while warming up for a game?
Not really. I make sure I am warmed up by a short run and kick some longer ones to warm up.

Did you see Doug Flutie's drop kick extra point, and would you ever consider changing your style?
HAHA. Yeah I saw it on Sports Center and I was impressed. I have messed around a little bit with it in practice but nothing for real. It seems a little tougher than how I do it.

Do you like the feeling of having the game on your shoulders if you are about to make a big kick?
Yes. I think you have to if you want to be successful in this business. I just think it is such a blessing and opportunity to help your team and also by making it to reward the team for their hard work with a win.

And finally Connor, who gets more women, punters or kickers?
I would think kickers because of the chance to have the last say in the game (I have heard that chicks dig the long ball) But I guess it hasn’t worked out that way for me.

This is a great pickup for us this guy could be our kicker for the next 10 tears.

Connor Hughes is Virginia's all-time leading scorer with 322 points on 64 field goals and 130 points. Yet San Diego drafted Virginia's other placekicker in the seventh round, Kurt Smith.

Smith only scored 43 points in his four years on campus – but he boomed 187 of his 284 career kickoffs into the end zone and 117 stayed there for touchbacks.

I understand because Kaeding is weak on kickoffs. Still, it's kinda a weird thing.

I'm thankful we got this guy. If he didn't have other calls to consider he must have thought "I know I can beat out that old fart."

Drop-kick Me, Jesus, Through the Goalposts of Life
(Paul Craft)

Drop-kick me, Jesus, through the goalposts of life,
End over end, neither left nor to right.
Straight through the heart of them righteous uprights
Drop-kick me, Jesus, through the goalposts of life.

Make me, Oh make me, Lord, more than I am
Make me a part of your master game plan
Free of the earthly tempestions below
I've got the will, Lord, if you've got the toe.

Bring on the brothers who've gone on before
Bring on the sisters who've knocked on your door.
Bring on those sainted relations of mine
And put them up front in the offensive line.




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