Forget Tebow, when does Sturgis come out?

by Niko Houllis on Nov 1, 2009 5:00 AM EDT Comment 22 comments

Strugis would have Bucs fans forgetting all about Nugent, and Bryant (and Gramatica too).

The answer of course is he is a sophomore, and will be available no earlier than 2011 draft.

Caleb is 14 out of 17 at the time of this writing, and just hammered home a 56 yard field goal for the Florida Gators. Its not all uncommon for a kicker to go high in the draft... just ask the school a little bit north of where Sturgis attends. Sebatian Janikoski was the Oakland Raiders 1st round pick in the 2000 NFL draft, and is still with the team, and probably will be for life. He was taken at #17, and though unlikely Sturgis would go that high, he does still have another year to go to beef up his already impressive resume.

Tampa Bay picked up a placekicker as early as the 3rd round; with the 80th pick in the 1999 draft, the Bucs selected Martin Gramatica who kicked them all the way to the Superbowl before erratic kicking ended the kickers career with Tampa Bay in 2004.

Tampa Bay likely will give current kicker Shane Andrus a chance this year; while he has virtually no official stats, he was impressive kicking in the preseason for the Indianapolis Colts when their famous kicker Adam Vinatieri required time off for injury.

Although there is a very good chance placekicker may not be on their list then, Tampa Bay could do worse than not consider the highly talented Strugis from Gainesville.

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Same could have been said for Gano, yet he is playing in the UFL now.

"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"

by UNFNOLE on Nov 1, 2009 6:18 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Kickers are a dime a dozen.

There are plenty available right now that could fill the gap.

www.bucem.com - SBNation's source for all things Buccaneer

by Buc Wild on Nov 1, 2009 9:07 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

Kickers are a dime a dozen.

Great kickers, are not.

If anyone can get production out of Gaines Adams, it will be Rod Marinelli. Good Luck Gaines and thank you Bucs for restoring my confidence that there is accountability.

by Niko Houllis on Nov 1, 2009 12:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Being a "Great" Kicker

isn’t proven in college.

"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"

by UNFNOLE on Nov 1, 2009 1:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The heck it isnt!

name a college kicker that was phenomenal at kicking while in school who bombed in the pros?

Unlike quarterbacking, Kicking is harder in college than it is in the pros.

Besides, who said I said Caleb was great?

I just replied that a great kicker is more valuable than a dime a dozen.

If anyone can get production out of Gaines Adams, it will be Rod Marinelli. Good Luck Gaines and thank you Bucs for restoring my confidence that there is accountability.

by Niko Houllis on Nov 1, 2009 2:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

reply fail BTW

If anyone can get production out of Gaines Adams, it will be Rod Marinelli. Good Luck Gaines and thank you Bucs for restoring my confidence that there is accountability.

by Niko Houllis on Nov 1, 2009 2:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Mike Nugent

www.bucem.com - SBNation's source for all things Buccaneer

by Buc Wild on Nov 1, 2009 2:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Who was an 80+% career FG kicker with the Jets, good enough to sign a 2.5 Million dollar a year free agent contract with the Bucs.

now, he may be a deadbeat, so was Gramatica after 2004- but from 99-2002 he was awesome.

Next….

If anyone can get production out of Gaines Adams, it will be Rod Marinelli. Good Luck Gaines and thank you Bucs for restoring my confidence that there is accountability.

by Niko Houllis on Nov 1, 2009 2:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That's the thing though

for all these kicker’s there are guys on the street who can replace them. Vinatieri goes down, no sweat, we’ll sign Matt Stover. In the last 10 years, the "best’ college kicker award winner (the Groza award) has only gotten an NFL job once, Nugent. The other guys are all unemployed. If NCAA success were directly correlated to NFL success, all those guys would have jobs.

www.bucem.com - SBNation's source for all things Buccaneer

by Buc Wild on Nov 1, 2009 2:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That guy from Colarado

Countless others.

Officially now the head of the Lobstein bandwagon.

by P Brady on Nov 1, 2009 5:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Justin Medlock

by CAJason80 on Nov 2, 2009 10:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Lou Groza Winners

1992 Joe Allison Memphis – Nope
1993 Judd Davis Florida – Nope
1994 Steve McLaughlin Arizona =
1995 Michael Reeder TCU – Can’t find that he ever went pro
1996 Marc Primanti North Carolina State – Never went pro
1997 Martín Gramática Kansas State – Solid in TB for a bit, fizzed out after a while
1998 Sebastian Janikowski Florida State
1999 Sebastian Janikowski Florida State – Good Pro, Not Spectacular
2000 Jonathan Ruffin Cincinnati – I think he played for the Cowboys for a season…
2001 Seth Marler Tulane – Started 1 season in Jax. 60% FG kicker. Bounced around. Out of the league.
2002 Nate Kaeding Iowa – Good Kicker in the NFL
2003 Jonathan Nichols Ole Miss – Never played in the NFL
2004 Mike Nugent Ohio State – Cut by TB
2005 Alexis Serna Oregon State – CFL
2006 Art Carmody Louisville – Never drafted or signed
2007 Thomas Weber Arizona State – Still in School I believe
2008 Graham Gano Florida State – Didn’t make the team

"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"

by UNFNOLE on Nov 3, 2009 8:11 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

There is a Groza award every year. That just means he is judged the best kicker that year.

There is a Heisman award every year too. Not all of those turn out to be good quarterbacks in the nfl.

Im not talking about yearly award winners. Im talking about the Gramaticas, the Janikowskis, the Sturgises (maybe, if he stays on course) who are exceptional kickers who become 1st, 2nd or 3rd round picks, unheard of for a kicker. These guys are a cut above the rest, and these guys who are so good in college continue that in the pros too.

Thats all Im saying.

Will the NY Jets please stop wearing those Titans uniforms. For a team that was only around for one year, Ive seen those uniforms 5 times already!

by Niko Houllis on Nov 1, 2009 3:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

and I reply failed again!! my bad

Will the NY Jets please stop wearing those Titans uniforms. For a team that was only around for one year, Ive seen those uniforms 5 times already!

by Niko Houllis on Nov 1, 2009 3:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This whole article was supposed to be about two points...

1) you have a lot of people who are “Bucs should pick Tebow” guys, so it was saying, forget Tebow, Sturgis is the guy the Bucs could use

2) Sturgis could be one of those kickers that gets drafted in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd round. THOSE GUYS never fail in the NFL, that I can recall.

Will the NY Jets please stop wearing those Titans uniforms. For a team that was only around for one year, Ive seen those uniforms 5 times already!

by Niko Houllis on Nov 1, 2009 3:06 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Nugent, was a second rounder, he has failed thus far.

He was cut by the Jets and by the Bucs within his first 4 years. I’m an avid college football fan and kickers come and go each year. Ask the Raiders if they are happy they wasted a 1st rounder on Janikowski (an FSU guy) or if the Jets are glad they picked Nugent.

But I’ll take anyone over Tebow.

www.bucem.com - SBNation's source for all things Buccaneer

by Buc Wild on Nov 1, 2009 3:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

We will agree to disagree...

except your last line.
Ditto.

Will the NY Jets please stop wearing those Titans uniforms. For a team that was only around for one year, Ive seen those uniforms 5 times already!

by Niko Houllis on Nov 1, 2009 6:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think that

The Bucs should pick Brandon Spikes in the draft before considering Sturgis

by bejaman on Nov 2, 2009 2:29 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Well, Again, this was just about two people....

To me Brandon Spikes has that leadership the Bucs are lacking on defense. They thought Ruud would take that over, but they were wrong.
Time was Nickerson, or Sapp, or Brooks, would make sure you were accountable.
It doesnt really matter if they cut Brooks this year or not, he wasnt going to be here in 2010 anyways.
But someone has to be put in the locker room that will hold everyone accountable.

Will the NY Jets please stop wearing those Titans uniforms. For a team that was only around for one year, Ive seen those uniforms 5 times already!

by Niko Houllis on Nov 2, 2009 5:36 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I would love to have Spikes...

He could blind all of the opposing players.

"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"

by UNFNOLE on Nov 3, 2009 8:13 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No, he shouldn't be drafted that high.

GMs and Owners know that using a draft pick before the 5th round is absurd. Gano was unreal last year and went undrafted. Sturgis has nothing Gano didn’t.

"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"

by UNFNOLE on Nov 3, 2009 8:13 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs