July 11, 2016
Mesa College was host to the Michael Husted Kicking Camp. The event took place over the weekend of July 9th, 2016. The camp is open to professional, college, and free agent kickers and punters from all over the country. The camp, with its esteemed instructors, provides young kickers the resources to continue the enhancement of the craft. Among the camps instructors on hand were former Chargers Legend and 90's All Decade Punter Darren Bennet and former Tampa Bay Buccaneer & Minnesota Viking long snapper, Mitch Palmer.
Over the course of event, video and data are charted for each kicker and punter. The data is then sent out to NFL teams, providing them with an empirical basis from which to view the skills of each player. This efficient method allows pro teams concrete analyzation for scouting of kickers and punters. Having this connection into the NFL gives many players, whom would not have had the exposure, an opportunity to showcase their talents for professional football teams.
A number of current NFL kickers, including Jacksonville Jaguars Jason Myers, Miami Dolphins Andrew Franks, andGiorgio Tavecchio of the Oakland Raiders, participated in the 3D Swing Analysis. This analysis helps to dramatically probe the biomechanics of each kicker. On screen computer technology displays a kickers motion and strike location at such a micro level that kickers can continue to refine their movements and kicking
The camp participants acknowledged that the camp really gives them a through understanding of how they stack up against the best talent in the country. The environment provides the ultimate barometer for players to gauge the elite competition. Players spoke highly of the professionalism and character that camp founder Michael Husted provides. Notable attendees of the Pro/College Mini Camp were K, Drew Basil from Ohio State, P Hayden Hunt, Colorado State K, Adam Griffith, Alabama and K, Tommy Openshaw of Vanderbilt University.
The Husted Kicking Camp experience provides free agent and college players the ultimate networking and guidance in their attempts to fulfill their dreams of kicking in the NFL.