Last Updated: Tuesday, May 6, 2008 11:40 AM CDT
DeBauche shows coaches what he can do
By Cory Dellenbach - Shawano Leader sports editor
Ken DeBauche knows what he needs to do to compete at the NFL level, and he’s already working on it.
“Especially in the NFL, they really focus on hangtime,” DeBauche said. “In college guys are fast, they aren’t as fast as they are in the NFL, so the hangtime isn’t as important, but now hangtime is No. 1, distance is secondary. So hangtime is what I’m focusing on.”
DeBauche, 23, from UW-Madison was picked up by the Green Bay Packers shortly after the NFL draft concluded.
“There were other teams that called prior to the draft for information. I’m not sure what their interest was, if they were serious or if they were just doing standard information gathering,” DeBauche said. “The day after I signed with the Packers, I got a call from the special teams coach with the Lions. I guess he didn’t realize I signed with the Packers, but I’m glad I’m a Packer and not a Lion.”
The Green Bay native, who lives about 15 minutes north of the stadium, said he’s just working on improving his kicks and competing against himself.
“The thing is punting and kicking are different than other things,” DeBauche said. “I don’t have any players to go up against. I don’t have to go up against one of the offensive linemen or defensive linemen to try and do better than them. I’m just going against myself, so I’m pretty familiar with that, I do it all the time.”
DeBauche, a graduate of Bay Port High School, finished his collegiate career at Wisconsin with 231 punts for 9,815 yards for an average of 170 yards per punt.
“I’m just competing against myself, trying to get better right now,” DeBauche said.
During the rookie orientation camp, DeBauche had been working on his hangtime.
“Just having a consistent drop that allows me to have a good hangtime,” DeBauche said. “A punter lowers and raises his drop table depending on the situation. The higher the opponent, the higher I want my drop, so I’m focusing on having that consistently high.”
Packers head coach Mike McCarthy didn’t get a chance to look too much at DeBauche, but special teams coaches Mike Stock and Shawn Slocum were able to.
“I know Mike and Shawn just started with his workout,” McCarthy said. “He’s a very good directional punter. We look for him to create very good competition for (current punter) Jon (Ryan), and we’re excited about him, that’s why we signed him. It was clearly one of the better workouts I’m told that our staff has seen.”
McCarthy noted that he, along with everyone else, is competing for a job.
“I just need to show the coaches what I can do,” DeBauche said. “That I’m a good punter, that I have the ability and talent to punt in the NFL.”
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Chris wrote on May 8, 2008 5:28 PM: