Who will replace Gramatica in 2005?

[Papa_Bull]

Posted on Tue, Aug. 03, 2004

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS

Palmetto grad trying to get his kicks at USF

Justin Teachey is 1-of-2 walk-on kickers hoping to eventually replace Santiago Gramatica

EMERY SKOLFIELD

Herald Staff Writer

PALMETTO - With a Gramatica brother etched ahead of him on the depth chart, Justin Teachey has time to acquaint himself with kicking footballs at the college level.

Santiago Gramatica, the brother of flamboyant NFL kickers Martin and Bill, is the senior incumbent placekicker at the University of South Florida and would have to fall off drastically to relinquish the role this fall.

But that won't keep Teachey, a spring Palmetto High graduate and USF preferred walk-on, from preparing to one day be Gramatica's replacement.

"There's another freshman (walk-on Kyle Bronson of Tampa Wharton) coming in, and it looks like next year, it'll be between me and him," said Teachey, who will head Sunday to Tampa and begin fall workouts the following day. "Whoever wins will get the scholarship."

The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Gramatica has struggled at times for USF and last season made 12-of-20 field goals and 30-of-31 extra-point attempts. In three seasons, he has converted 59.6 percent of his field goal attempts (31-of-52) and 88.6 percent of PATs (109-of-123). Justin Geisler, also a senior, has handled the team's kickoff duties the past three years.

"They way (Teachey) is kicking right now, I think he has a real good chance of going up and doing well," said Dustin Dahlquist, Teachey's kicking and soccer coach at Palmetto. "We've been kicking anywhere from extra-points out to 50 or 60 yards, and he's making about 90 percent."

Despite converting all 23 of his PATs, making 8-of-11 field goals - including a 46-yarder - and putting 92 percent of his kickoffs into the end zone, Teachey was an unknown commodity last fall.

Only a handful of smaller schools, including NCAA Division II Fort Valley (Ga.) State, showed interest in the 6-foot-2, 170-pounder, with curiosity trickling in only after his senior season ended.

But a South Florida assistant attending the Police Athletic League (PAL) Bowl senior all-star game in December was impressed with Teachey's leg and kept in touch. When a possible preferred walk-on opportunity with the University of Florida never materialized, Teachey decided on USF.

Now Teachey, who had surgery Jan. 29 to repair torn ligaments in his left (non-kicking) knee - an injury he suffered playing soccer - is working on the minor changes that come at the college level. Tees are not allowed on field goals. Kickoffs are five yards longer.

"He's actually a lot stronger with his legs than he was before the injury," said Dahlquist, who has been working with Teachey over the summer. "I think he's actually a better kicker. He's more consistent."

Teachey is one of four Manatee County players on USF's roster, along with junior wide receiver Travis Lipp (Southeast), redshirt freshman cornerback Mike Jenkins (Southeast), and freshman linebacker C.J. Hunnicutt (Manatee).

The Bulls open their season Sept. 6 against Pittsburgh at Raymond James Stadium.

• USF kicks off the season Sept. 6 vs. Pittsburgh at Raymond James Stadium. 4:30 p.m.

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/sports/9306006.htm

[E.T.]

Hopefully we have a replacement for 2005. Good Luck to him.

Some names:

http://www.thebullspen.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Prospects;action=display;num=1093701772

Go BULLS !!!

[smazza]

a kicker shouldn't be hard to replace

[bulls96go]

sounds solid

[Zonald]

Hmm, sounds good.  Why didn't we use him when Gramatica went down this year??

[Velcro]

probably because we had senior geisler who is good, has experience and a huge leg.

[Guest HowieP1]

If we give out a scholarship to a kicker this year my money is on Reid Macko of Armwood. I just hope he doesn't make the winning kick against Grothe this weekend.  

[Apis Bull]

a kicker shouldn't be hard to replace

Tell that to the University of South Carolina.

[Guest HowieP1]

Tell that to the University of South Carolina.

I heard Gruden say last week that he previously picked a kicker in the first couple of rounds of the NFL draft, so a really good one is not that easy to find.

If we can sign Reid Macko this year, we may have the inside trick for their "all world" kicker who'll be graduating in 2007.

KICKERS 2007 1. Darren DeRochemont Incredible talent - can do all.  Best kicker we've ever seen at this age.  Armwood H.S. (FL)

   http://www.chrissailerkicking.com/index_content/RecruitDatabase.htm

[bulls96go]

he better be good he will be needed