Shane Lechler
Encyclopedia
Edward Shane Lechler (ˈlɛklər; born August 7, 1976) is an American football
punter who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders
in the National Football League
. Lechler played college football
for Texas A&M
from 1996-1999. In the NFL, Lechler has been named an All-Pro eight times during his career. He is currently the NFL's all-time leader in career punting average.
in East Bernard, Texas
and was a standout in football
, basketball
, golf
and baseball
. As a quarterback
, punter, and placekicker
, he led East Bernard to the state quarterfinals his senior year, completing 87 of 101 (86.1%) passes for 1,640 yards and 11 touchdowns. In his high school career, he passed for nearly 5,000 yards and averaged 41.6 yards per punt. His longest punt in high school was 85 yards.
kicker, was the holder for short field goals and PATs, and was the emergency quarterback. As a junior, he completed a 29-yard pass on a fake punt against Baylor
and threw a touchdown pass to Dan Campbell
on a fake field goal in a hard-fought 17-10 win against Texas Tech
.
When injuries depleted the depth chart, Lechler served as the backup quarterback for the 1998 Big 12 Championship game. At one point in the game, the Aggies' last healthy quarterback Branndon Stewart
appeared shaken and a nervous-looking Lechler warmed his arm up on the sideline. Stewart was able to stay in the game and led the Aggies to a dramatic 36-33 victory over Kansas State
, earning the Aggies their first Big 12 championship. Because of his contributions in so many facets of the game, coach R. C. Slocum
called Lechler "the team's most valuable player."
Lechler started his career off strong at Texas A&M, earning Freshman All-America
honors in 1996 after averaging a freshman record 42.7 yards. His sophomore season, he was named to the All-Big 12 team after breaking the Aggie single season record with an average of 47.0 yards per punt. He was named to The Sporting News All-America team as a junior in 1998 and was also an Associated Press
first team All-American honors as a senior in 1999, a year in which his 46.5 yards per punt is second in the record books only to his own sophomore season. He is the NCAA record holder for career punt average with a mark of 44.7 yards per punt. He had six career punts of 69 yards or longer and had 38 "coffin corner" kicks over his final two seasons. Lechler was also named first team All-Big 12 Conference by the league’s head coaches, The Associated Press, the Austin American Statesman, The Dallas Morning News
, Football News, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
, the Houston Chronicle
and the Kansas City Star.
Lechler did not have a punt blocked during his career and only one of his punts was returned for a touchdown during his career.
Since entering the league in 2000, Lechler has set various NFL and Raiders
records. He was a Pro Bowl
er in 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 and was named to the All-Pro team in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Lechler has the NFL record for best average per punt in a career (47.3), the only player with a higher average than the legendary Sammy Baugh
. He has the five best single-season punting averages in Raiders history, including a career-best 51.1 in 2009, the second highest single season average in league history (Baugh averaged 51.4 in 1940). Lechler recently raised his Raider record for most punting yards in a season with 4,909 in 2009. He had at least one punt of 50 yards or more in 33 consecutive games from Week 13 of 2003 through Week 14 of 2005, the longest streak by any player since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970. Has been named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week twice. Lechler has played in 158 regular season league games and seven playoff games, including Super Bowl XXXVII
. At the 2008 Pro Bowl
, he had a punt of 55 yards.
Both Lechler and kicker
Sebastian Janikowski
are the longest tenured players on the Oakland Raiders.
On February 18, 2009, Lechler signed a 4 year, $12 million contract, making him the highest paid punter in NFL history.
In Week 6 of the 2011 season Lechler threw a touchdown pass on a fake field goal.
In Week 12, on November 27th 2011, Lechler kicked a career best 80 yard punt against the Chicago Bears. That punt, kicked from his own 10 yard line (Oakland 20 was the line of scrimmage), bounced at the Chicago 11 and into the end zone, making 79 yards in the air, and setting a franchise record for the longest punt by an Oakland Raider.
, a former A&M punter.
Lechler comes from an athletic family - his mother and father played sports for Baylor
. His brother Derek was a punter for Texas A&M.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
punter who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Lechler played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
from 1996-1999. In the NFL, Lechler has been named an All-Pro eight times during his career. He is currently the NFL's all-time leader in career punting average.
Early years
Lechler attended East Bernard High SchoolEast Bernard Independent School District
East Bernard Independent School District is a public school district based in East Bernard, Texas .The district serves the City of East Bernard and the unincorporated area of Bonus...
in East Bernard, Texas
East Bernard, Texas
East Bernard is a city in Wharton County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,729 at the 2000 census.-Geography:East Bernard is located at ....
and was a standout in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. As a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, punter, and placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
, he led East Bernard to the state quarterfinals his senior year, completing 87 of 101 (86.1%) passes for 1,640 yards and 11 touchdowns. In his high school career, he passed for nearly 5,000 yards and averaged 41.6 yards per punt. His longest punt in high school was 85 yards.
College
A versatile and talented player, Lechler was not only the Aggies’ punter, but also kicked off, served as the long field goalField goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
kicker, was the holder for short field goals and PATs, and was the emergency quarterback. As a junior, he completed a 29-yard pass on a fake punt against Baylor
Baylor Bears
Baylor Bears refers to the sports teams of Baylor University. Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and some women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA's Division I, and Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference...
and threw a touchdown pass to Dan Campbell
Dan Campbell
Daniel Allen Campbell is a former American football tight end and currently a tight ends coach for the Miami Dolphins. He played tight end for four teams in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at...
on a fake field goal in a hard-fought 17-10 win against Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...
.
When injuries depleted the depth chart, Lechler served as the backup quarterback for the 1998 Big 12 Championship game. At one point in the game, the Aggies' last healthy quarterback Branndon Stewart
Branndon Stewart
Branndon Stewart is a former American football player. He played quarterback for the University of Tennessee and Texas A&M University.- High school career :...
appeared shaken and a nervous-looking Lechler warmed his arm up on the sideline. Stewart was able to stay in the game and led the Aggies to a dramatic 36-33 victory over Kansas State
Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State University's athletic teams are called the Wildcats. The official color of the teams is Royal Purple, making Kansas State one of very few schools that have only one official color; white and silver are generally used as complementary colors.Kansas State participates in...
, earning the Aggies their first Big 12 championship. Because of his contributions in so many facets of the game, coach R. C. Slocum
R. C. Slocum
Richard Copeland Slocum , better known as R. C. Slocum, was the head football coach at Texas A&M University from 1989 until 2002. He has won more games as coach than anyone else in Texas A&M football history.-Personal:...
called Lechler "the team's most valuable player."
Lechler started his career off strong at Texas A&M, earning Freshman All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
honors in 1996 after averaging a freshman record 42.7 yards. His sophomore season, he was named to the All-Big 12 team after breaking the Aggie single season record with an average of 47.0 yards per punt. He was named to The Sporting News All-America team as a junior in 1998 and was also an Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
first team All-American honors as a senior in 1999, a year in which his 46.5 yards per punt is second in the record books only to his own sophomore season. He is the NCAA record holder for career punt average with a mark of 44.7 yards per punt. He had six career punts of 69 yards or longer and had 38 "coffin corner" kicks over his final two seasons. Lechler was also named first team All-Big 12 Conference by the league’s head coaches, The Associated Press, the Austin American Statesman, The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
, Football News, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a major U.S. daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. Its area of domination is checked by its main rival, The Dallas Morning News, which is published from the eastern half of the Metroplex. It is owned...
, the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
and the Kansas City Star.
Lechler did not have a punt blocked during his career and only one of his punts was returned for a touchdown during his career.
NFL
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
records. He was a Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
er in 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 and was named to the All-Pro team in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Lechler has the NFL record for best average per punt in a career (47.3), the only player with a higher average than the legendary Sammy Baugh
Sammy Baugh
Samuel Adrian "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh was an American football player and coach. He played college football for the Horned Frogs at Texas Christian University, where he was a two-time All-American. He then played in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins from 1937 to 1952...
. He has the five best single-season punting averages in Raiders history, including a career-best 51.1 in 2009, the second highest single season average in league history (Baugh averaged 51.4 in 1940). Lechler recently raised his Raider record for most punting yards in a season with 4,909 in 2009. He had at least one punt of 50 yards or more in 33 consecutive games from Week 13 of 2003 through Week 14 of 2005, the longest streak by any player since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970. Has been named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week twice. Lechler has played in 158 regular season league games and seven playoff games, including Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
. At the 2008 Pro Bowl
2008 Pro Bowl
The 2008 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2007 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 10, 2008. The game was televised in the United States by Fox and began shortly after 11:40am local time . The NFC won, 42–30, despite a 17-point first half AFC...
, he had a punt of 55 yards.
Both Lechler and kicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski is a left-footed Polish placekicker who plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. He is nicknamed The Polish Cannon because he is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league, and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He lives in...
are the longest tenured players on the Oakland Raiders.
On February 18, 2009, Lechler signed a 4 year, $12 million contract, making him the highest paid punter in NFL history.
In Week 6 of the 2011 season Lechler threw a touchdown pass on a fake field goal.
In Week 12, on November 27th 2011, Lechler kicked a career best 80 yard punt against the Chicago Bears. That punt, kicked from his own 10 yard line (Oakland 20 was the line of scrimmage), bounced at the Chicago 11 and into the end zone, making 79 yards in the air, and setting a franchise record for the longest punt by an Oakland Raider.
Personal
Lechler is married to Erin Gibson, who was an All-American volleyball player at Texas A&M. He is also a close friend of Justin BrantlyJustin Brantly
Justin Jay Brantly is an American football punter for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
, a former A&M punter.
Lechler comes from an athletic family - his mother and father played sports for Baylor
Baylor Bears
Baylor Bears refers to the sports teams of Baylor University. Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and some women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA's Division I, and Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference...
. His brother Derek was a punter for Texas A&M.