Toast Siposs the NFL punter

[St Kilda Death]

Well done to former Saint Arryn.
Overlooked in the draft, I think only 2 punters taken.
But Immediately signed as a free agent by the Detroit Lions.
We all remember he was an excellent kick, should be able to make a career of it.

 

[ike2112]

He's up against it by landing at Detroit, cos whilst they have an opening at punter, they need the player to also handle kickoff duties as Matt Prater (their placekicker) doesn't do it - and Siposs has never even attempted that in a game.
It's a shop window though, if he puts out a couple booming punts in preseason and gets good camp feedback, another team who doesn't need someone for kickoffs might well pick him up. That's how it works for the lower half of the punters and kickers in the NFL.

 

[Mowman]

Good for Him
Hope he makes plenty $$$$ and can set himself up for life

 

[Sainteric]

He's up against it by landing at Detroit, cos whilst they have an opening at punter, they need the player to also handle kickoff duties as Matt Prater (their placekicker) doesn't do it - and Siposs has never even attempted that in a game.
It's a shop window though, if he puts out a couple booming punts in preseason and gets good camp feedback, another team who doesn't need someone for kickoffs might well pick him up. That's how it works for the lower half of the punters and kickers in the NFL.

Would have thought that wouldnt be too hard, why doesn't the placekicker do it, chance of injury running back?

 

[Joffaboy]

Know his mum. Aaron wasn't too worried if he was chosen or not, was happy he was getting his business degree at Auburn paid for.
Not like AFL, you play high school, college, then NFL.
If you miss out, you are done, no state leagues or local leagues to fall back on.

Hope he goes well.

 

[plugger66]

Know his mum. Aaron wasn't too worried if he was chosen or not, was happy he was getting his business degree at Auburn paid for.
Not like AFL, you play high school, college, then NFL.
If you miss out, you are done, no state leagues or local leagues to fall back on.

Hope he goes well.

He is actually married to one of my mates Daughter. Took a huge punt going to Auburn so hopefully it pays off. Apparently a long night last night for his Father in law. Im sure my mate told me a while ago he was doing teaching. Could be wrong. Still has a year to go so if he doesn't make its back to Melbourne to finish it off.

 

[Anythings_sipposible]

My username is finally relevant again!!! Onya Sip

 

[Mindtraveller]

Know his mum. Aaron wasn't too worried if he was chosen or not, was happy he was getting his business degree at Auburn paid for.
Not like AFL, you play high school, college, then NFL.
If you miss out, you are done, no state leagues or local leagues to fall back on.

Hope he goes well.

CFL?

 

[ike2112]

Would have thought that wouldnt be too hard, why doesn't the placekicker do it, chance of injury running back?

It's usually similar situation Siposs is in, just that the placekicker hasn't had to do it previously - often the punter has the longer leg for distance, so kickers will often not have done it in college.
Some (not many) placekickers haven't wanted to do it because it's a different run-up style and can affect their rhythm for placekicking, and couple coaches in the past haven't wanted the Kicker doing it because there's more risk of hamstring injury from over-exertion (the leg swing is longer and hence deceleration causes more stress on the hamstring than a kick for goal).
In absolute basic terms, placekickers are seen as slightly more valuable than punters. It's a weird qwirk that almost every NFL QB was also their high school punter, many RBs too as they often played as option QBs in high school (even man-mountain Derrick Henry played QB in high school and punted as a junior).
Very few were the placekicker.

Know his mum. Aaron wasn't too worried if he was chosen or not, was happy he was getting his business degree at Auburn paid for.
Not like AFL, you play high school, college, then NFL.
If you miss out, you are done, no state leagues or local leagues to fall back on.
Hope he goes well.

He won't have his degree after only 2 years. Believe he remained enrolled, when other people who declared for the draft early would drop out and focus on workouts, I guess as a punter your 40-second time is irrelevant so he stayed in school and tried to double classes. I don't think he'll graduate this sumester, especially after corono lockdown. But he'll not be far off, probably have to pay for the last half of a year.
Do you know if he's in the US or if he came back to Australia during Covid-19 restrictions?

Someone above mentioned him having a 3rd year to fall back on - he doesn't, once you declare for the draft you forego your remaining eligibility, so he can't play for Auburn again.

To be fair it was a hell of a leap to go to Auburn, a school where he was no guarantee to win the punting job and where if he didn't, they'd have pulled his scholarship. A smaller school would have been more secure, but he wouldn't have gotten the same TV/scouts exposure.

The XFL was going to be a feeder league for the NFL but Covid-19 has killed it. The CFL is an option but not a great one as they have smaller rosters they often have a guy do both the kicking and punting, and for that reason there's less turnover of players than you'd expect.

You also have to consider that there's not likely to be training camps as normal through this Covid-19 stuff. And the guys he's up against were in camp with the Lions last year so they're known to the staff.
But I think he will get a chance to show what he can do, he's not the favourite for the job but if he puts on a good show the coaches will spread the word, and another club who need just a pure punter might bring him back in 2021. That's how it works for post-draft free agents, you almost never make the team your first year but a good performance gets you either on practice squad (nobody's keeping a punter on the practice squad) or at least invited to another teams training camp - this is exactly the situation of the guy ahead of him at this point, he was in camp last year and was close to winning the job, the starter was in final year of a fairly expensive contract for a punter, he's gone, the guy from 2019's training camp is expected to step in. 2021 Siposs could easily head into camp with another team as the favourite.

 

[ike2112]

There is an international player pathway also, where players can be kept on practice squad as extras, effectively not counting towards squad caps, but Siposs isn't part of it in 2020. He could join it in 2021 and then be eligible for the roster exemption.

 

[Gershwin]

He's up against it by landing at Detroit, cos whilst they have an opening at punter, they need the player to also handle kickoff duties as Matt Prater (their placekicker) doesn't do it - and Siposs has never even attempted that in a game.
It's a shop window though, if he puts out a couple booming punts in preseason and gets good camp feedback, another team who doesn't need someone for kickoffs might well pick him up. That's how it works for the lower half of the punters and kickers in the NFL.

I think you will find Prater handled the kick offs in 2019. Not sure why you say he doesn't. Siposs will just need to punt better than Jack Fox.

 

[Sainteric]

It's usually similar situation Siposs is in, just that the placekicker hasn't had to do it previously - often the punter has the longer leg for distance, so kickers will often not have done it in college.
Some (not many) placekickers haven't wanted to do it because it's a different run-up style and can affect their rhythm for placekicking, and couple coaches in the past haven't wanted the Kicker doing it because there's more risk of hamstring injury from over-exertion (the leg swing is longer and hence deceleration causes more stress on the hamstring than a kick for goal).
In absolute basic terms, placekickers are seen as slightly more valuable than punters. It's a weird qwirk that almost every NFL QB was also their high school punter, many RBs too as they often played as option QBs in high school (even man-mountain Derrick Henry played QB in high school and punted as a junior).
Very few were the placekicker.

Just seems a bit weird from a rugby background the place kicker never seems too hard to kickoff deep as well as taking kicks for extra points, in NFL a placekicker who can kick field goals from distance would be a great advantage I would think.

Anyway Siposs could come back and teach most of the guys we traded for this year to kick.

 

[ike2112]

Just seems a bit weird from a rugby background the place kicker never seems too hard to kickoff deep as well as taking kicks for extra points, in NFL a placekicker who can kick field goals from distance would be a great advantage I would think.

Anyway Siposs could come back and teach most of the guys we traded for this year to kick.

Yes but kicking field goals you get 2 steps then kick, it's a rhythm thing more like a golf swing with a big thigh and strong hamstrings.
Thats why some of the best kickers in the world go through bad spells, or even best kickers in college never make it in NFL despite in theory it being quite a closed skill. Same as golfers who lose their swing etc.
Kicking off is different because you get a run up, you don't have people running at you, the approach to the ball is different, it's on a tee instead of on the ground, the acceleration and more importantly deceleration of the leg is different. Often it's why the punters kick off, because they often have the bigger leg for kickoffs and their legs are more used to the forces on the hamstring for deceleration.
Could be Siposs learns to do it quickly. Pat Mcafee who has suddenly become slightly well known as a former nfl punter and youtuber/podcaster, he was more of a Kicker but got drafted to punt and quickly taught himself the finer points. It's possible, it's just with Siposs coming from less of a football background, there's less chance he makes a team this year but I think a good showing in camp/pre season could set him up for a shot in 2021 if he sticks it out.

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

hes a good kid ... im really happy for him ... his old man is quite the character very much larger than life .. i remember talking to his mum at one of our saints functions just before he left for the US and she was telling me how after the watters era he tried to get over to WA to join up with Ross Lyon at Freo as they had a strong relationship but he couldnt give u spot to Sippa on Freo's list but he was welcomed to come join their WAFL team and earn his spot that way ... but he decided to stay in Victoria insetad of come west ..

 

[joop]

CFL?

Not a lot of $$$ in the CFL. He would get to punt more as they only play 3 downs.

 

[n1ck]

We spoke to him via Zoom on Unpluggered last week. He is still based in Alabama doing his rookie camp preparation in isolation and getting ready for his move to Detroit.

Can see the video with Sippa here:


On SM-N960F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[mightymalaka]

Still think he was one player who got away from us and was a victim of incompetence by Watters and Especially Richo who seemed to have a set against him from the start! Can't have a good kick in the team it would upset Richo's philosophy!
Anyway good luck to him. Hope he makes it!

 

[plugger66]

Still think he was one player who got away from us and was a victim of incompetence by Watters and Especially Richo who seemed to have a set against him from the start! Can't have a good kick in the team it would upset Richo's philosophy!
Anyway good luck to him. Hope he makes it!

Pretty sure it was his ability and not the coaches. Still yet to find a coach who doesn’t want good players in the side. Good kicking is overrated. Fyfe danger.

 

[Joffaboy]

Pretty sure it was his ability and not the coaches. Still yet to find a coach who doesn’t want good players in the side. Good kicking is overrated. Fyfe danger.

Agreed, if he was any good he would have been picked up by another team.

Always a favourite that gets delisted that the coach gets blamed for. Ledger, Templeton etc.
We got Membrey and Robbo as DFA's, those types are the ones that got away.

 

[n1ck]

It was three shoulder reconstructions that cruelled his career, ask any of his coaches and it certainly wasn't ability or worth ethic. If you can impress Ross Lyon as a rookie (first year) then that tells you something.

Agreed, if he was any good he would have been picked up by another team.

Always a favourite that gets delisted that the coach gets blamed for. Ledger, Templeton etc.
We got Membrey and Robbo as DFA's, those types are the ones that got away.

 

[blktreacle]

Worth noting Templeton was offered a 1 year contract.
He declined it because it wasnt long enough and wanted to try his luck in draft/free agency.

Agreed, if he was any good he would have been picked up by another team.

Always a favourite that gets delisted that the coach gets blamed for. Ledger, Templeton etc.
We got Membrey and Robbo as DFA's, those types are the ones that got away.

On SM-G950F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

Bit of a bad break for Sipposs. Hes got covid.

 

[Remboy]

Bit of a bad break for Sipposs. Hes got covid.

Is there anyone in the US who doesn’t have it?