IRVING, Texas - The tight ends had just finished their bench press session at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. Next up inside Lucas Oil Stadium (drum roll):
The kickers, punters and a few of the long snappers.
"Four-fifths of the stands got up and left," David Buehler recalls.
They missed a show.
Buehler, USC's 230-pound powerhouse kicker, lifted the designated 225-pound weight 25 times - easily the highest number among the specialists and better than three elite offensive line prospects: Virginia's Eugene Monroe, Ole Miss' Michael Oher and Oregon's Max Unger. This after a tiresome two-hour kicking workout.
Trojans teammate Rey Maualuga, the Bengals' future second-round pick and one intense dude, had 23 reps.
"It was kind of funny, the situation. I mean, you don't expect a kicker to put up 25," Buehler said. "My goal was to put up 30. Hey, it got me here."
Here is Valley Ranch, where the Cowboys' fifth-round pick is debunking the stereotype that all kickers can do is kick.
Granted, not all kickers weigh 230 and run a 4.57 40-yard dash. Guys that size with that speed play running back and linebacker in college, like Buehler did at Santa Ana (Calif.) College for a year before transferring to USC in 2006.
Buehler, though, found an NFL niche. He's big and fast, but he also has uncommon leg strength. He grew up playing soccer and was always the unanimous choice to take a free kick for his team.
In college, he concentrated on kicking for the Trojans and grew into a field position weapon. As a senior in 2008, he pinned opponents inside the 20 on 64 of 88 kickoffs. Forty-eight were touchbacks.
The Cowboys noticed, and they decided teaming place-kicker Nick Folk with a rookie kickoff specialist might improve their inconsistent coverage.
Through six games, the Southern California kid is arguably the biggest component in that turnaround under new special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis.
A year ago, the Cowboys ranked 29th out of 32 teams. Opponents' average drive start was the 29.3-yard line.
This year, they rank third. Opponents' average drive start is the 21.8-yard line.
Bill Parcells coined the term "Hidden Yardage" around here a few years ago. Really, it's no secret. The cardinal special teams rule is to force a long field.
Give credit to DeCamillis' scheme and demanding approach. It's worked everywhere he's been.
Also give credit to some talented and willing coverage players. Sam Hurd, Alan Ball, Pat Watkins and Deon Anderson have used their speed and grit to get downfield and make tackles.
Buehler has made it easy for them at times. He's tied for first in the league with 13 touchbacks, which already ranks as the third-most in franchise history since 1991. His four touchbacks last week against Atlanta tied for the franchise's second-most since '91.
"When you back a team up, you've got a chance of being successful defensively and that's really the only stat I care about," DeCamillis said. "If we kick it seven (yards) deep and they bring it out and we get them at the 17 every time, we'll take it all day long."
What's more impressive is Buehler's directional kicking when he doesn't land a touchback. At USC he had "free rein to kick the hell out of it." Here, DeCamillis has specific instructions on each kick, and most of time the ball is landing between the numbers and the sideline.
Oh, and the Cowboys haven't let the rest of his athleticism go to waste. He's a starter on the punt return team and a backup on the other non-kickoff special teams units.
Sunday at Cowboys Stadium he'll try to outduel another big leg: Seattle's Olindo Mare, who has 11 touchbacks this season.
Buehler's goal is to beat Mare and everyone else in that category.
"I know I'm a rookie and it's a great achievement because there's a lot of great kickers in the league and a lot of kickers that have done well in the touchback category," he said. "Coming in here, I'm confident in my leg and confident in my ability. I know I can come out here and compete with these guys and I want to prove that to myself and my teammates and Joe D.
"And if I set a Cowboys record on the way, so be it."
Home | Email | Print | Register for New Alerts | RSS
Rob Phillips - 
