- Joined
- Jun 20, 2010
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- The Dude
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Enabling Ewe
Could you outline what an average day of practice is like for you Johnny? Which players or coaches do you hang with during practice?
Johnny Hekker
This is a good question. A typical day of practice starts with going out about 20 minutes before practice to start a warm up and do some drills to help get the leg and body warm and ready to drop bombs. During practice I usually hang with Jake and Greg and our special teams coaches. When we don't have a special teams period of practice we are either doing drills and individual work on another field or we are observing practice and soaking up the sun.
GO RAMS
PA Ram
Tackling Tavon Austin Or Tossing T.d. Pass? Which had your heart racing more?
Johnny Hekker
Hahaha Well I must say my attempt at getting close enough to tackle Tavon was not even close and I didnt really expect much from my effort there so I would have to say that the TD pass got me pretty jacked up. I remember yelling pretty loud when they waved the flag after the play and the TD stood. It is extremely rare for specialists to be involved in touchdowns so I was excited to get one in year one. Hope to keep up the sneaky tactics this season.
X
Sup Ginger!
Hey. How freaking hard was your heart pumping when you were told to throw that pass out of your own endzone against the 49ers? Had you and McLeod practiced that a lot, and were you confident he was gonna come down with it?
Thanks man, and it's a lot of fun following you on Twitter and Reddit.
Johnny Hekker
Well the cool thing about that play was that it wasnt a called fake. We got the guy covering Hot Rod down in the box and they left him wide open so I caught the ball and just threw it to him. That situation had been practiced plenty of times in practice so we were definitely on the same page. I didnt even realize where I was on the field until after everyone kept telling me how ballsy it was to throw out of our own end zone haha. Fun stuff though. Really got the heart racing though to answer your question.
GO RAMS
Rambunctious
Does the Rams' coaching staff encourage you and Greg Z. work on tackling techniques during practice, or is it discouraged because of the injury risk? Thanks in advance!
Johnny Hekker
We don't do much tackling practice at all, if it is anything, that looks like being a safety on a team full cover rep where we go down and tag off on the returner. In a game, were more expected to get in the way and force them to cut back to our teammates with speed and athletic abilities far beyond our own
GO RAMS
PhxRam
Any plans to tee off on the jumbotron in Dallas?
I would love nothing more than to watch sparks rain down on the field like in "The Natural"
Thanks for taking our questions.
Johnny Hekker
Well I would love to get a piece of the scoreboard but they have it positioned in the middle of the field and we are a directional team. I can't be hitting the ball down the middle and give their returner a shot. I'd rather put one out inside the 5 than hit the jerry vision screen any day.
Mackeyser
What do you find more challenging, kicking to a returner like Tavon Austin or kicking in bad weather/high winds?
GO RAMS
Johnny Hekker
I would say kicking in difficult weather conditions is the most challenging. In the NFL every single returner has breakaway speed and incredible juke moves so it's all difficult there. With weather it can change second to second, there can be still conditions and then a huge gust that comes and moves the ball a good half foot out of my hand after I drop it. Good question though.
Boffo97
Can we expect to see more fake punts this year?
And are you the Rams' emergency QB if all 3 go down with injury?
Johnny Hekker
If I told you this, Id have to kill you totally kidding. The thing is I really don't know what to expect fake wise this upcoming season. I know if we see some mismatch as a special teams unit we will do our best to exploit it. Our coaches do an amazing job scouting other teams and knowing what they do in every situation. I think I would be the guy off the bench if armageddon happened on a sunday and all qbs got dinged. Lets all pray that never happens though haha.
GO RAMS
zn2
I assume you had a few choices as an undrafted free agent. What kinds of factors were in play when you were deciding between teams? Why did you choose the Rams?
Johnny Hekker
I did have a couple other offers on the table when free agency rolled around. Before the draft, my agent and I spoke and ranked teams from 1 to 32 as far as punting need and overall chances of me sticking there. St Louis was the #2 team on that list with jacksonville being 1. Jacksonville drafted a great punter in the 3rd round and I knew that I loved coach bones and the direction that the team was heading with the new coaching staff. It was just a great situation to get into to get my foot in the door and have a solid chance. God really was able to guide me to where I am today and I am so so so thankful to be a ram.
GO RAMS
The Great OZ
Now that you are one of the elder statesman on campus, did you do an NFL first and make a rookie shamelessly carry the PUNTERS gear?
Johnny Hekker
While that is a great idea, I don't think my tiny pads will be worth making someone carry. If I am feeling froggy I can leap but for now I will stick to carrying my own gear. Nobody likes a kicker/ punter that abuses power. They can take it as fast as its given haha.
GO RAMS
The Great OZ
I can't seem to find your jersey of any of those cheap NFL jersey sites.
I sooo want to rock my Hekker jersey this year.
Johnny Hekker
I know..I need to make a quick good will trip over there to promote Hekker jersey production on the black market. The more 6 jerseys I see in the stands will greatly increase the chances of a robot after a good punt!
GO RAMS
wv ram
Can you talk a bit about what makes a good special-teams player and which non-kicker has impressed you most on special teams?
oh......And what is C. Finnegan like? ?
Johnny Hekker
Keys to a good special teams player
-speed
-courage to make contact
-good knowledge of the game plan and overall schemes we use
Our special teams team reps have been fairly limited so far but two of our best special teamers from last season that are poised for another great year are Hot Rod McLeod and Josh Hull. Those guys go all out and do their best every shot they get.
Cortland is a character, one of the nicest guys off the field but he will tear into you with a quick roast if you slip up. He is a competitor to the core. the guy wants to be great and you can tell.
GO RAMS
nittany ram
What would you like to do if you could no longer play football?
Also, as a fellow red-head, when do you think we should collectively unleash our hidden powers and take over the world while smiting those who wouldst mock us?
Johnny Hekker
One dream of mine that I have had since a young guy was to be a show host of some sort of travel show or a restaurant critic type. Any show that would either air on food network or the travel channel.
Realistically, I would love to be a coach and teacher at a high school so I can teach young men a game that changed my life for the better.
SOON.....
GO RAMS
zn2
You had an impressive rookie year, but Coach Fisher says that the biggest leap in improvement you see in players comes in their 2nd year. What are you working on in your game this off-season, and where do you think you've already improved over last summer and your first training camp?
Johnny Hekker
I want to be a more consistent play maker for our team. I had some plays last year that were "learning experiences" but I think I have learned from those mistakes and will hopefully never repeat them. I have been working on simplifying my punting technique and making it user friendly for my body type and leg swing. Going from a jab two step to a straight up two step delivery will help keep my steps compact and lead to more consistency. Good question.
GO RAMS
Steve Brown
Johnny,
First: nice arm and guts on the goal line versus 49ers...
Question: Who is the toughest player on the team...as seen by all
Question: Who is the most intelligent 'starter' on the team.
Johnny Hekker
Toughest player on the team...This one is tough but if I had to pick somebody I would say either Chris Long or Jo Lonn Dunbar. Those two are beasts that play fearless and wreck havoc on other teams.
Most intelligent...this one is difficult because you have to be incredibly smart to be a starter at any position. I would say the mental capacity of Sam Bradford and Scott Wells as far as knowledge of the entire offense and defense is pretty amazing.
GO RAMS
Enabling Ewe
Could you outline what an average day of practice is like for you Johnny? Which players or coaches do you hang with during practice?
Johnny Hekker
This is a good question. A typical day of practice starts with going out about 20 minutes before practice to start a warm up and do some drills to help get the leg and body warm and ready to drop bombs. During practice I usually hang with Jake and Greg and our special teams coaches. When we don't have a special teams period of practice we are either doing drills and individual work on another field or we are observing practice and soaking up the sun.
GO RAMS
PA Ram
Tackling Tavon Austin Or Tossing T.d. Pass? Which had your heart racing more?
Johnny Hekker
Hahaha Well I must say my attempt at getting close enough to tackle Tavon was not even close and I didnt really expect much from my effort there so I would have to say that the TD pass got me pretty jacked up. I remember yelling pretty loud when they waved the flag after the play and the TD stood. It is extremely rare for specialists to be involved in touchdowns so I was excited to get one in year one. Hope to keep up the sneaky tactics this season.
X
Sup Ginger!
Hey. How freaking hard was your heart pumping when you were told to throw that pass out of your own endzone against the 49ers? Had you and McLeod practiced that a lot, and were you confident he was gonna come down with it?
Thanks man, and it's a lot of fun following you on Twitter and Reddit.
Johnny Hekker
Well the cool thing about that play was that it wasnt a called fake. We got the guy covering Hot Rod down in the box and they left him wide open so I caught the ball and just threw it to him. That situation had been practiced plenty of times in practice so we were definitely on the same page. I didnt even realize where I was on the field until after everyone kept telling me how ballsy it was to throw out of our own end zone haha. Fun stuff though. Really got the heart racing though to answer your question.
GO RAMS
Rambunctious
Does the Rams' coaching staff encourage you and Greg Z. work on tackling techniques during practice, or is it discouraged because of the injury risk? Thanks in advance!
Johnny Hekker
We don't do much tackling practice at all, if it is anything, that looks like being a safety on a team full cover rep where we go down and tag off on the returner. In a game, were more expected to get in the way and force them to cut back to our teammates with speed and athletic abilities far beyond our own
GO RAMS
PhxRam
Any plans to tee off on the jumbotron in Dallas?
I would love nothing more than to watch sparks rain down on the field like in "The Natural"
Thanks for taking our questions.
Johnny Hekker
Well I would love to get a piece of the scoreboard but they have it positioned in the middle of the field and we are a directional team. I can't be hitting the ball down the middle and give their returner a shot. I'd rather put one out inside the 5 than hit the jerry vision screen any day.
Mackeyser
What do you find more challenging, kicking to a returner like Tavon Austin or kicking in bad weather/high winds?
GO RAMS
Johnny Hekker
I would say kicking in difficult weather conditions is the most challenging. In the NFL every single returner has breakaway speed and incredible juke moves so it's all difficult there. With weather it can change second to second, there can be still conditions and then a huge gust that comes and moves the ball a good half foot out of my hand after I drop it. Good question though.
Boffo97
Can we expect to see more fake punts this year?
And are you the Rams' emergency QB if all 3 go down with injury?
Johnny Hekker
If I told you this, Id have to kill you totally kidding. The thing is I really don't know what to expect fake wise this upcoming season. I know if we see some mismatch as a special teams unit we will do our best to exploit it. Our coaches do an amazing job scouting other teams and knowing what they do in every situation. I think I would be the guy off the bench if armageddon happened on a sunday and all qbs got dinged. Lets all pray that never happens though haha.
GO RAMS
zn2
I assume you had a few choices as an undrafted free agent. What kinds of factors were in play when you were deciding between teams? Why did you choose the Rams?
Johnny Hekker
I did have a couple other offers on the table when free agency rolled around. Before the draft, my agent and I spoke and ranked teams from 1 to 32 as far as punting need and overall chances of me sticking there. St Louis was the #2 team on that list with jacksonville being 1. Jacksonville drafted a great punter in the 3rd round and I knew that I loved coach bones and the direction that the team was heading with the new coaching staff. It was just a great situation to get into to get my foot in the door and have a solid chance. God really was able to guide me to where I am today and I am so so so thankful to be a ram.
GO RAMS
The Great OZ
Now that you are one of the elder statesman on campus, did you do an NFL first and make a rookie shamelessly carry the PUNTERS gear?
Johnny Hekker
While that is a great idea, I don't think my tiny pads will be worth making someone carry. If I am feeling froggy I can leap but for now I will stick to carrying my own gear. Nobody likes a kicker/ punter that abuses power. They can take it as fast as its given haha.
GO RAMS
The Great OZ
I can't seem to find your jersey of any of those cheap NFL jersey sites.
I sooo want to rock my Hekker jersey this year.
Johnny Hekker
I know..I need to make a quick good will trip over there to promote Hekker jersey production on the black market. The more 6 jerseys I see in the stands will greatly increase the chances of a robot after a good punt!
GO RAMS
wv ram
Can you talk a bit about what makes a good special-teams player and which non-kicker has impressed you most on special teams?
oh......And what is C. Finnegan like? ?
Johnny Hekker
Keys to a good special teams player
-speed
-courage to make contact
-good knowledge of the game plan and overall schemes we use
Our special teams team reps have been fairly limited so far but two of our best special teamers from last season that are poised for another great year are Hot Rod McLeod and Josh Hull. Those guys go all out and do their best every shot they get.
Cortland is a character, one of the nicest guys off the field but he will tear into you with a quick roast if you slip up. He is a competitor to the core. the guy wants to be great and you can tell.
GO RAMS
nittany ram
What would you like to do if you could no longer play football?
Also, as a fellow red-head, when do you think we should collectively unleash our hidden powers and take over the world while smiting those who wouldst mock us?
Johnny Hekker
One dream of mine that I have had since a young guy was to be a show host of some sort of travel show or a restaurant critic type. Any show that would either air on food network or the travel channel.
Realistically, I would love to be a coach and teacher at a high school so I can teach young men a game that changed my life for the better.
SOON.....
GO RAMS
zn2
You had an impressive rookie year, but Coach Fisher says that the biggest leap in improvement you see in players comes in their 2nd year. What are you working on in your game this off-season, and where do you think you've already improved over last summer and your first training camp?
Johnny Hekker
I want to be a more consistent play maker for our team. I had some plays last year that were "learning experiences" but I think I have learned from those mistakes and will hopefully never repeat them. I have been working on simplifying my punting technique and making it user friendly for my body type and leg swing. Going from a jab two step to a straight up two step delivery will help keep my steps compact and lead to more consistency. Good question.
GO RAMS
Steve Brown
Johnny,
First: nice arm and guts on the goal line versus 49ers...
Question: Who is the toughest player on the team...as seen by all
Question: Who is the most intelligent 'starter' on the team.
Johnny Hekker
Toughest player on the team...This one is tough but if I had to pick somebody I would say either Chris Long or Jo Lonn Dunbar. Those two are beasts that play fearless and wreck havoc on other teams.
Most intelligent...this one is difficult because you have to be incredibly smart to be a starter at any position. I would say the mental capacity of Sam Bradford and Scott Wells as far as knowledge of the entire offense and defense is pretty amazing.
GO RAMS
