Green Bay Packers punter Jeremy Kapinos got a great start to his punting career in part because his coach at West Springfield High School in Virginia was former Packers punter Bill Renner.
Renner punted in six games over two years in the NFL, in 1986 and 1987 with the Packers as a replacement for the injured Don Bracken.
When Kapinos was a sophomore in high school, he decided he wanted to punt for West Springfield, and Renner taught him the most fundamental aspects of punting. After Kapinos moved on to Penn State, Renner became his unofficial personal coach.
After the New York Jets cut Kapinos in June, he moved back to Springfield, and this summer and fall, he worked out with the West Springfield team every day.
Kapinos said Renners master's thesis in exercise physiology at Virginia Tech was about punting.
Hes really good at breaking it down, Kapinos said, and weve worked together so long now, within one punt if Im having issues, its corrected. When I was in college Id call him up on a Friday or Thursday and say, Coach, this is whats happening, this is what the ball looks like; its turning over but its fluttering, whats going on? Hes like, Move the ball closer to your body.
Kapinos signed with the Packers on Wednesday evening as the replacement for waived Derrick Frost after a good workout on Tuesday. Hell make his debut with them Sunday against Houston.
Last year as a rookie, Kapinos punted in one game with the Jets he also spent five weeks on the Jets practice squad last season and in the offseason, he competed with Ben Graham for the Jets punting job. In June, the Jets chose Graham, whom they cut earlier this season.
Kapinos had only a handful of live punts in practice on Friday and hit each well, but as Frost showed, the most difficult part is carrying that kind of performance into the game. He also punted at Lambeau on Friday to get acquainted with the cold conditions and swirling winds.
I feel so much different than I did last year in terms of preparation, Kapinos said. Ive been through so much in this journey getting to the NFL, all the ups and downs, being on the cusp of being the Jets punter and getting released, and going through this offseason, in the (organized team activities) and minicamps competing with this other guy and thinking on the last two days I felt really good and thought Id turned the tide with the team. But it wasnt to be.
Kapinos, who is left-footed, said he feels sharp because this fall hes punted as much as he would have with an NFL team. This season he had three workouts besides his session on Tuesday with the Packers: two with Baltimore and one with Washington. He thought he was going to get the job in Washington, but first-year Redskins coach Jim Zorn, a former Seattle Seahawks assistant, went with Ryan Plackemeier, who was Seattles punter in 2006 and 2007.
Four or five times a week minimum, Kapinos said of his practice schedule at home. The guys in the NFL practice every day. On a Monday, Id go light just in case Tuesday Id get a workout, I was always ready for a Tuesday workout. Then if Tuesday I didnt work out, Id go back out and punt 20 or 30 balls, on some days if I just felt good or was having fun, 60 or 70. Every day Id be out there punting. Run on the weekends and lift a little bit. I just approached it like Im employed. You have to stay focused and ready at all times.
Injury update
[ul]Center Scott Wells appears set to return to the starting lineup this week after sustaining a concussion last Sunday, but linebacker Brandon Chillars status is shaky because of a strained groin sustained in practice on Wednesday.
Wells, who was unable to return to the game last week, returned to full-time work in practice Friday and is listed as probable (a virtual certainty hell be available for regular duty).
Chillar, though, was limited in practice both Thursday and Friday, and hes listed as questionable (50 percent chance of playing). Coach Mike McCarthy said he probably wont determine Chillars status until Sunday morning.
If Chillar cant play, second-year pro Desmond Bishop will start, probably at weak-side linebacker. He also could move to his usual middle linebacker position and A.J. Hawk could switch back to the weak side.
McCarthy also said halfback Ryan Grant (sprained thumb) can protect the ball well enough to get his normal amount of carries on Sunday. Grant injured the thumb last week against Carolina and did not play in the second half. In practice on Wednesday, the Packers did a ball-security drill in which the ball carrier runs a gauntlet of players who try to strip and pull the ball from him, with usually one player at the end making an extended fight for the ball. Grant, whos wearing a splint to protect his thumb, got through that drill without any problems.
When I saw that on Wednesday, I wasnt as concerned about it as we were in the game against Carolina, McCarthy said.
The Packers have one player who is out for this game, safety Atari Bigby (sprained shoulder). Like last week, Charles Woodson will start in his place at safety, and Tramon Williams will replace Woodson in the starting lineup at cornerback.
The only other players in danger of missing the game are defensive end Jeremy Thompson (ankle) and halfback DeShawn Wynn (calf), who are questionable.
For Houston, starting safety Nick Ferguson (knee) is doubtful (25 percent chance of playing), and backup safety Will Demps (hamstring) is questionable.[/ul]
Havners shot
[ul]Less than two months ago, Spencer Havner was home in Sacramento, Calif., driving dump trucks on his cousins construction site.
On Sunday, he could be playing in his first regular-season NFL game.
Havner last played in a game that counted on Dec. 30, 2005, for UCLA in its Sun Bowl victory over Northwestern. After spending most of 2006 and all of 2007 on the Packers practice squad, he was out of football for about six weeks this season before rejoining the practice squad on Oct. 15.
Its a great feeling, Havner said Friday, a day after the Packers signed him to the 53-man roster. Its incredible.
On Thursday, Havner's agent, Justin Schulman, told him the Chicago Bears planned to sign him. Schulman talked to the Bears while Havner discussed his future with McCarthy, who convinced Havner he had a good chance of playing with the Packers down the stretch on special teams.
The deciding factor was where I was going to make sure I was going to be playing in the next three or four games, Havner said, the possibility of making sure I was going to be up or just active, not be cut in the next four games, and then the opportunity for next year.
The Packers cleared a roster spot for Havner by placing rookie cornerback Pat Lee (knee) on injured reserve.[/ul]
Fine news
[ul]The NFL fined Chillar $5,000 for hitting Carolina receiver Steve Smith after Williams interception early in the fourth quarter last week against Carolina, an NFL spokesman said.
Chillar aggressively blocked Smith after the interception, and the NFL determined the block was unnecessary because it was at the end of the play and far from Williams.
Smith retaliated by taking a run at Chillar, and the two scrapped momentarily. No penalty was called, but the NFL fined Chillar because he unnecessarily struck an opponent who was away from the play, the spokesman said.
Also, the league fined Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers $10,000 for his hit out of bounds on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers last week. However, neither Smith nor Packers cornerback Al Harris was fined for their scrap Sunday.[/ul]