Sam Koch

Sam Koch
refer to caption
Koch with the Ravens in 2015
No. 4 – Baltimore Ravens
Position: Punter
Personal information
Born: (1982-08-13) August 13, 1982
York, Nebraska
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight: 218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school: Seward (NE)
College: Nebraska
NFL Draft: 2006 / Round: 6 / Pick: 203
Career history
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 5, 2018
Punts: 970
Punting yards: 43,918
Average punt: 45.3
Longest punt: 74
Inside 20: 370
Player stats at NFL.com

Samuel David Koch (/kʊk/, like cook; born August 13, 1982) is an American football punter for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Ravens in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska. He is known for developing many punting variations.[1]

Early years

Koch attended Seward High School in Seward, Nebraska and played punter, tight end, offensive lineman, and defensive lineman.[2] Also because of an injury to another player, he started a few games as fullback. Along with football, Koch played basketball, baseball, and soccer.

College career

Koch walked on to the Nebraska football team, where he played punter, and later would receive a scholarship before the start of the 2004 season.[3] He did not see game action as a redshirt freshman in 2002, but served as the backup punter. As a sophomore in 2003, he backed up Kyle Larson at punter, but did not attempt a punt. Koch was Nebraska’s punter from 2004-05 after holding kickoff duties for 7 games in 2003. He was named to the 2005 2nd-team Academic All-Big 12 squad and the 2005 Big 12 Commissioner’s Spring and Fall Academic Honor Roll. He racked up a career-punting average of 44.1 yards (with 56 kicks inside the 20 and a long of 84 yards). As a senior, Koch put together the best campaign ever at his position in school history, as he broke the single-season punting average mark with a 46.5-yard average in 2005. The 2005 average bested the previous record of 45.1 yards per punt by former Bengals punter Kyle Larson in 2003. Koch’s average ranked second nationally and helped Nebraska to a No. 2 national ranking in net punting (39.9 avg.) As a senior, was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award. In his collegiate finale in the 2005 Alamo Bowl , Koch posted a 51.5-yard average on 8 punts against Michigan, including 5 punts over 50 yards each.[4] He connected on at least 1 punt of 50 yards or more in 8 of 11 contests and surpassed the 48-yard barrier in every single game. He was the Huskers’ kickoff specialist for the 2nd half of the season and 18 of his 32 kickoffs resulted in touchbacks. In his final 6 games, opponents had just 10 returns totaling 165 yards.[5] In December 2005, he earned a degree in business administration.

Professional career

Koch at training camp in 2009.

Koch was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round (203rd overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft.[6] In his rookie season he played in all 16 regular season games, punting 86 times for 3,695 yards and placing 30 of those inside the 20 which ranked fourth in the NFL.[7] He made his NFL debut at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 10.[8]

In the 2007 season, Koch finished with 78 punts for 3,397 net yards for a 43.55 average.[9]

In the 2008 season, Koch led the NFL in punts inside the 10 yard line. In Week 16, against the Dallas Cowboys, he completed his first career professional pass for nine yards.[10] Overall, on the season, he totaled 84 punts for 3,777 net yards for a 44.96 average.[11]

In the 2009 season, Koch finished with 73 punts for 3,188 net yards for a 43.67 average.[12]

A restricted free agent in the 2009 offseason, Koch signed his one-year, $1.545 million tender offer on March 27.[13]

In the 2010 season, Koch finished with 82 punts for 3,530 net yards for a 43.05 average. In addition, he completed a 13-yard pass in a game against the Miami Dolphins.[14][15]

After an outstanding 2010 season, Koch was named to the 2010 All-Fundamentals Team by USA Football and the NFL Players Association.[16]

In the 2011 season, Koch finished with 73 punts for 3,393 net yards for a 46.48 average.[17]

In a Week 10 game against the Oakland Raiders on November 11, 2012, Koch scored his first touchdown on a fake field goal. Koch was the holder for the Ravens. Overall, he finished the 2012 season with 83 punts for 3,911 yards for a 47.42 average.[18][19]

During the 2012 season, Koch got his first championship title as the Ravens won against the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. Koch made key contributions on the final two plays of the Super Bowl, first scrambling in his own end zone to burn time off the clock before taking an elective safety, and then booting a 60-yard free kick which left the 49ers well outside field goal range.[20]

In the 2013 season, Koch finished with 90 punts for 4,138 net yards for a 45.98 average.[21]

In the 2014 season, Koch finished with 60 punts for 2,841 yards for a 47.35 average.[22]

On July 9, 2015, Koch was re-signed by the Ravens on a five-year, $16.25 million contract, making him one of the highest paid punters in the NFL.[23] Overall, in the 2015 season, he finished with 74 punts for 3,454 net yards for a 46.68 average.[24]

In Week 12 of the 2016 season, against the Cincinnati Bengals, Koch was involved in a strategic maneuver similar to his Super Bowl XLVII play at the end of the game. With the Ravens leading 19–12 with 11 seconds remaining in the game on their own 23-yard line, Koch fielded the ball and ran back 23 yards to his own endzone to take an intentional safety and run the clock out. The play was a success and the Ravens won 19–14.[25] Overall, in the 2016 season, he finished with 80 punts for 3,665 net yards for a 45.81 average.[26]

In Week 12 of the 2017 season, Koch completed a 22-yard pass to Chris Moore on a fake punt play, earning him AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.[27] In Week 15, Koch punted five times for an average over 43 yards, with four punts landing inside the 20-yard line, earning him his second AFC Special Teams Player of the Week this season.[28] Overall, in the 2017 season, he finished with 84 punts for 3,765 net yards for a 44.82 average.[29]

Ravens franchise records

  • Most career punt yards (38,989)[30]
  • Longest career punt: 74[30]
  • Highest career yards per punt average (45.2)[30]
Season Punting Offense Defense
YearTeamGmsPuntsYardsAvgIn 20LongYardsTackles
2006BAL 16863,69543.0306102
2007BAL 16783,39743.6206402
2008BAL 16843,77745.0347492
2009BAL 16733,18843.7266000
2010BAL 16813,53043.63960131
2011BAL 16733,39346.5216301
2012BAL 16833,91147.12860173
2013BAL 16904,13846.0276901
2014BAL 16602,84147.4267300
2015BAL 16743,45446.72967–31
2016BAL 16803,66545.8376801
2017BAL 16843,76544.84067380
Career19294642,75445.2357744814

References

  1. ↑ NFL Films (2016-09-26), Boomerangs, Knuckleballs, Hooks: How Sam Koch & the Ravens Changed Punting | NFL Films Presents, retrieved 2016-11-08
  2. ↑ Croston, Stephanie. "Seward native contributes to Ravens' championship". Seward County Independent. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  3. ↑ "Sam Koch College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  4. ↑ "Alamo Bowl - Nebraska vs Michigan Box Score, December 28, 2005". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  5. ↑ "Sam Koch 2005 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  6. ↑ "2006 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  7. ↑ "Sam Koch 2006 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  8. ↑ "Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - September 10th, 2006". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  9. ↑ "Sam Koch 2007 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  10. ↑ "Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys - December 20th, 2008". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  11. ↑ "Sam Koch 2008 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  12. ↑ "Sam Koch 2009 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  13. ↑ http://bal.scout.com/2/851236.html
  14. ↑ "Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens - November 7th, 2010". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  15. ↑ "Sam Koch 2010 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  16. ↑ Mink, Ryan (December 23, 2010). "Koch, Ngata Named To All-Fundamentals Team". Blogs.BaltimoreRavens.com.
  17. ↑ "Sam Koch 2011 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  18. ↑ "Oakland Raiders at Baltimore Ravens - November 11th, 2012". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  19. ↑ "Sam Koch 2012 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  20. ↑ "Super Bowl XLVII - San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens - February 3rd, 2013". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-11-08.
  21. ↑ "Sam Koch 2013 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  22. ↑ "Sam Koch 2014 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  23. ↑ Wesseling, Chris (July 9, 2015). "Sam Koch, Baltimore Ravens reach five-year extension". NFL.com.
  24. ↑ "Sam Koch 2015 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  25. ↑ "Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens - November 27th, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  26. ↑ "Sam Koch 2016 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  27. ↑ Shook, Nick (November 30, 2017). "Philip Rivers, Phil Dawson lead Players of the Week". NFL.com.
  28. ↑ Lam, Quang M. (December 20, 2017). "Rob Gronkowski, Gurley among Players of the Week". NFL.com.
  29. ↑ "Sam Koch 2017 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  30. 1 2 3 "Baltimore Ravens Career Kicking & Punting Leaders".
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