Yes, the punter is getting some love. On the Johnny Knox nickname thread Ditkavsworld floated the idea for the above nickname for our beloved punter Brad Maynard. It was so well received the comment is now "green". Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune has a nice article up about this key weapon to the Bears early success. Read the full article here. After the jump I'll hit some highlights...
When your harshest critic is your 8 year old son, you're living OK.
After Maynard landed a punt at the Lions' 2-yard line the last time out, he got praised and scolded by his 8-year-old son, Conner.
"He was like, 'Dad that was a great punt,' " Maynard said, "but then he'll say, 'Why did you let the guy return it? Why didn't you go down there and help make the tackle? Why did you just watch?'
Maynard booted all 4 of his punts against the Lions inside the 20, but the ultimate perfectionist wasn't satisfied.
"I got them all inside the 20, which is great, but one of them was from the 45 going in and I hit it out to the 17," Maynard explained. "That punt should be fair-caught at the 10 or hit out of bounds inside the 10 every time.
"Same with the other one punting from the 49. It went out at the 19. It should be at the 10. We finished that game with a 38 net, and we'll take that, but I know it should have been more like 42."
When will Maynard get some Pro Bowl respect? He's never been a Pro Bowler, but was selected 2nd team All NFL by the AP in 2004.
Maynard always strives for perfection. He led the NFL in punts inside the 20 last season with a career-high 40, the second-highest mark in NFL history. Yet he watched Jeff Feagles from his former team, the Giants, represent the NFC in the Pro Bowl.
With a fan base that loves defensive football, it's no wonder why we all appreciate what Brad Maynard does on the football field.
Did you know Brad Maynerd holds a career 141.4 QB rating?