Kaeding's got foothold on this job
SAN DIEGO -- The kid knows how to close deals. He's been doing it his entire career.
Nate Kaeding was the starting point guard for West High School in Iowa City and led the team to a state championship as a senior. In soccer, he clinched the state title by scoring the deciding goal in a shootout.
Kaeding was also the kicker on football teams that won back-to-back state championships and went a combined 26-0 in his junior and senior seasons.
And while Kaeding enjoyed soccer and basketball, he knew that playing at the next level would be tough for a kid who was barely 6 feet and on the slow side. But when it came to kicking a football, Kaeding didn't have to take a backseat to anyone.
So Kaeding decided to enroll at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.
Again the kid closed the deal, setting school records for consecutive field goals (22), consecutive extra points (60), career field goals (67), and career extra points (166). He also set school and Big Ten records with 373 career points. For his efforts, Kaeding was a unanimous All-America selection as a junior and senior and won the Lou Groza Award as the nation's top kicker his junior season.
All of which spawned dreams of even bigger things at the next level.
"I remember in college watching Adam [Vinatieri] do those things in the Super Bowl and thinking, that would be pretty cool," Kaeding said. "In the fraternity of kickers, Adam was and is the guy."
Kaeding made his statement, knowing he will have a national forum to make his case this afternoon as one of the league's top kickers in the AFC divisional playoff game against the Patriots.
As the kicker for the Chargers, who had the best regular-season record in the NFL and are one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl, Kaeding has legitimate credentials.
Since arriving in San Diego as a third-round pick in 2004, Kaeding has hit a few speed bumps. In his rookie season he made 21 of 27 field goals, but was 8 of 12 from 40 yards and beyond and 3 of 5 on 50-plus attempts.
Last season he made 21 of 24 attempts and this season he has made 26 of 29 of his field goal attempts, including 8 of 10 from beyond 40 yards.
He's even more accurate at home, converting 34 of his 36 career attempts at
But as in any good success story, there was a notable setback. And that came two years ago when Kaeding missed a 40-yard kick in overtime in a wild-card game against the Jets. New York then pulled off the upset on the ensuing possession, earning a 20-17 win at Qualcomm.
For once, the kid didn't close the deal and it ate at him through the offseason.
Kaeding believes he's put that miss behind him.
"I'm a different player now, it's a different time," said Kaeding when asked to compare himself then and now. "I'm a different person."
Kaeding said he'll approach today's game as if it were any other.
"There is no difference at all in playoff pressure," he said, then paused. "Unless you put it in your head. You can't think about it or it will get to you. I'm having a good year and I'll try and do the same things I've been doing."
Kaeding acknowledged experience helps. He also knows he can't control everything.
"You can't worry about that stuff, let it get to you, and I won't," said Kaeding.
Spoken like a kid who knows how to close the deal.
