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Temple 9, CLEMSON 63 (final)

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Pros help Dean deal with kicking woes

Published: Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 6:00 am


By Ed McGranahan
STAFF WRITER
[email protected]



CLEMSON -- A ray of sunshine broke through Jad Dean's gray mood last week when Mike Nugent of the New York Jets and Chris Gardocki of the Super Bowl Pittsburgh Steelers called to talk kicking.
Nugent and Dean have worked with instructor Tim Williams, the former Ohio State kicker. Gardocki was an all-conference punter and kicker at Clemson and has been a punter and holder for 15 seasons in the NFL.
Both offered words of encouragement, Dean said Monday. It's been a difficult season for the senior from Greenwood, who last season was one of three finalists for the highest individual award presented kickers.
Ranked 12th nationally with a 5-1 record, the Tigers are off to their best start in six seasons. The only loss was by one point when Boston College blocked a Dean kick in overtime.

After hitting 51 of 53 in two seasons, he's 26 of 30 this year. In Saturday?s win at Wake Forest, in which he hit two of three field goals, one of his four extra-point attempts was deflected at the line of scrimmage prompting Coach Tommy Bowden to consider a switch to sophomore walk-on John Early.
?I guess if the team was 1-5, nobody would even be worrying about it because obviously there?d be bigger problems,? Dean said.
?When the team is as successful as we are, every little thing gets magnified.?
Dean was an unabashed Clemson fan long before he became a Tiger football player, so he?s keen on making sure everything is perfect when they head into the final five games of the season beginning next week with Georgia Tech.
Bowden has made it clear Dean will first have to beat Early in practice.

?It?s his decision to make,? Dean said. ?I know I can do it.?
Nobody seems to know for certain the root of the problem. Originally it was thought to be the blocking scheme, but Bowden later said it was Dean?s failure to launch his kicks within 1.3 seconds of the snap.
?Gardocki said he doesn?t know any kickers in the NFL that are consistently below 1.3.,? Dean said. ?He said most kickers are between 1.35 and 1.45.?
Because there isn?t a coach on most football staffs capable of mentoring kickers, Dean has worked with Williams since before last season, when he achieved a reputation as one of the nation?s best.
Bowden has suggested that might be a problem, but in examining his mechanics neither Dean nor Williams can identify a problem. In fact, Dean said, Nugent told him he was sufficiently impressed to record the Louisiana Tech game for pointers.
Bowden said after the Wake game it was simply a slump, likening it to a golfer?s swing or a baseball pitcher who can?t find the strike zone. It?s the one explanation with which they both agree. Dean compared it to that of New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.
?In my mind I still feel like I?m one of the best in the country,? he said. ?If you look at A-Rod and his struggles and everything, does that make him not a good baseball player? No.?
Psychologically, there?s no question it?s an issue. Dean looks tired and unhappy. The circles around his eyes are large and dark.
?If I start thinking about it too much, that?s when it starts going downhill,? Dean said. ?It?s in the back of my head. It?s tough to get it completely out right now.?
He craves Bowden?s support and reassurance, but he?s not going to criticize the coach who feeds the fire with his public criticism.
?That hurt me a lot to hear that it was my fault,? he said, later adding, ?I don?t want to say too much.
?I guess different coaches have different ways of handling it.?
 
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