![]() ![]() Jeter and Kroeger arrived in July of 2020, while Rogers came a month later. This year, they and Rogers were named to preseason watch lists for honors awarded to the top player at their respective positions.īefore all of that, though, they came to South Carolina just days apart as wide-eyed freshmen. Jeter connected on all 11 of his field-goal attempts last year, including two 50-yarders. Kroeger was the only Gamecock named to the preseason All-SEC first-team this year after averaging the fifth-most yards per punt in FBS last season. ‘We all know what makes this person tick’ But their bond coupled with the support of special teams aficionados Pete Lembo and Shane Beamer make those aspects more manageable. Their positions demand a different kind of mental toughness and a down-to-the-inch kind of perfection. Kroeger, long snapper Hunter Rogers and placekicker Mitch Jeter make up one of the most prolific special teams trios in the country. But I think that makes it interesting, and that’s kind of taken off the pressure for me.” It’s not like you get celebrated for doing your job. “You’re not always in the spotlight, like the starting quarterback,” said Kroeger, who has experience launching the football with his hands as well. The rest of the time it might seem like these athletes don’t exist.Īnd that’s exactly what South Carolina’s All-American punter Kai Kroeger loves about it. Punters, kickers and long snappers receive little fanfare for their heroics short of spectacular, awe-inspiring plays or ill-timed mistakes. ![]() What can I say? There are bunnies and squirrels and birds out there, and it’s spring.Glitz, glamour and Heisman Trophy nominations do not a college football specialist make. Until one day when he’s listening to a Mariners game on the radio, and he takes his eyes off me for a few seconds. Sure, I’ll pay attention to Mike – for a while. Mike thinks I’m smart enough to act like a dachshund. So have I learned any lesson? Heather thinks I’m smart enough to be trained to obey, always. Mike, for once, could breathe a sigh of relief. I think it was the shock of seeing him streak across the parking lot, and not his command tone (“Chloë, No!” that actually made me stop right on the fringe of the blackberry thicket. When Mike dropped my leash, I briefly pretended to be running around with Beamer and then made a beeline across the parking lot and into my favorite maze.įrankly, I didn’t think Mike could run that fast anymore, with that leg pain he’s been suffering. Until the other day, when he was trying to get me to play with this other dachshund named Beamer, who I’ve met several times. But whenever we pass remotely close to a thicket, my leash was on and shortened. We’ve even done a few short dropped-leash segments. I got a brand-new harness and leash, both newer, sportier versions of what I had. Mike and I have had a few fetch sessions in carefully designated, bunny-free areas. Grim, on the other hand, is a pro.)Īfter a few days, however, things started to loosen up a little. (Poor Mike, he’s just not very good at it. There was a lot of “Chloë, walk with me.” There was a whole lot of command tone thrown around. When I got sent to bed without a biscuit, I realized the severity of my crime.įor the next few days, there was no rabbit chasing. Mike silently gave me dinner (thank god!) and then sent me to the bedroom while they ate. She must have made Mike do it, too, because it’s not something he would have done on his own. She was quiet in the car, and that’s why I really didn’t comprehend how much trouble I was in until we got home, and this not talking to me or looking at me continued. I felt like I was in a hostage rescue on The Unit (I watch a lot of reruns with Heather).īecause I had no leash or harness anymore, and we were still in Rabbit Central, Heather carried me all the way down to the parking lot. So I whimpered a couple of times, and she was finally on me, directing Mike on where to lop next to give her an opening and some leverage so she could grab me. Strangely, not at Mike, but at me! (Maybe she was saving Mike for later, when I wasn’t around.)īy the way she was ordering me and Mike around, I knew I was in trouble. I heard her immediately, and I did not like her tone of voice. I really didn’t reveal my whereabouts until Heather showed up. When he came back, though, I was stealth. That must have happened while Mike got his tools, because I did yelp a few times and made some racket while I was squirming. I had a blast until my harness got caught on a blackberry spike, and then I had to wiggle my way out of it and leave it behind. After he came back, there were a couple of times that Mike could see me, but there was no way he was getting close to me without chain saws and machetes.
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