Greg the Leg delivered for the Rams, sending them to the Super Bowl with a 57-yard dart of a field goal. Quite a success story for a guy who appeared to be on the verge of losing his job in 2015.
ATLANTA – Roster-spot competitions usually don’t end well for incumbent NFL kickers. They’re more disposable than razors.
Greg Zuerlein looked done in 2015. The kicker once dubbed “Legatron” seemed inconsistent beyond 40 yards, and the Rams openly said Zuerlein would compete for his job. Since then, Zuerlein has endured back surgery and a major groin injury and, oh, by the way, completely reestablished his dominance.
It’s an odd tale. Zuerlein, who is polite but hesitant in interviews, occasionally has been asked how he did it, how he brought his career back from the brink, but Zuerlein shrugs and revels nothing. Maybe he had an injury. Maybe he had technique-related issues. Maybe he had a case of the golf-style yips.
Whatever happened, it worked. Since the start of the 2016, Zuerlein has been “Mr. Automatic” – as tabbed by Rams quarterback Jared Goff – and Zuerlein reluctantly took a spin in the spotlight this month after his 57-yard field goal in overtime of the NFC championship game sent the Rams to the Super Bowl.
It’s been a long journey, from Div. II college kicking to struggles to the edge of a championship.
“Maybe when my career is over, or after this season, I’ll think about it a little, but never in too much depth,” Zuerlein said Wednesday. “I’ve never been one to dwell on the past, because you don’t get anything from that. You can learn from your mistakes, that’s true, but dwelling on the past isn’t going to be successful for your mental state, or anything else, going forward.”
Zuerlein, again, is a star, and concerns over an injury to his left (non-kicking) foot mostly seem to have subsided. Wednesday’s Rams practice was not open to reporters, but during the pre-practice media session, Zuerlein said he would not kick until Friday (per his usual routine), but that his foot felt fine.
