2012 SD Chargers Media Guide_PROOF.P - Seahawks Online ...

5 MIKE SCIFRESPunter Draft 5 - ’036-2, 221 Western Illinois10th NFL SeasonDestrehan HS10th with ChargersDestrehan, La.Mike Scifres (SIGH-fres) had quite a year in 2011. Justdays before the regular season opener, the Chargers signedhim to a five-year contract extension that will keep him asthe team’s punter through the 2016 season. When Scifresput pen to paper though, little did he realize that within afew days, he’d not only be called upon to handle punts, butalso kickoffs, field goals and point after tries after NateKaeding suffered a season-ending knee injury on the openingkickoff of the season against Minnesota. Scifres, theteam’s backup kicker, coolly responded by nailing a gametying40-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, en routeto a 24-17 victory over the Vikings. It was his first madefield goal in a live game since his sophomore season atWestern Illinois when he kicked a 56-yard game-winner inovertime against Northern Iowa for a conference title.Beyond his heroics in Week 1, Scifres posted some eyepoppingnumbers in 2011. He averaged a career-high 47.5yards per punt and fell just three attempts shy of qualifyingfor the team’s single-season record (min. 50). Scifrespunted 47 times in ’11 and finished the year ranked sixthin the NFL in gross punting average. He had only twotouchbacks in 2011, tying his career low.The franchise’s leader for career punting average (44.8),Scifres is a member of the Chargers’ 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and a six-time Pro Bowl alternate (2004-09).As he enters the 2012 season, Scifres is only eight puntsshy of 500 for his career. Only 86 players in NFL historyhave punted more than 500 times. A look at what Scifreshas done with his first 492 punts shows some incrediblestatistics. Only 204 of his punts have been returned andamong the group with more than 500 career punts (since1970), the fewest number of returns a punter has allowedis 207 by Ken Walter, who punted for Carolina, New Englandand Seattle from 1997-06. Similarly, Scifres’ 45career touchbacks would be the fifth-fewest among puntersfor whom complete career data is available, showingjust how valuable a weapon he has been for the Chargers.Scifres credits his career success to a workout regimenthat includes weightlifting and Pilates.It was almost a fluke that Scifres ended up with theChargers. It happened on a recommendation from KyleSmith, the son of Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith. Asa freshman at Youngstown State, Smith had returnedpunts against Scifres, who played for Missouri Valley Conferencefoe, Western Illinois. Less than a year after fieldingthe call from Kyle, and despite having Pro Bowl punter Dar-ren Bennett on the roster, Smith drafted Scifres in the fifthround in 2003.Scifres cemented his resume as one of the NFL’s toppunters during an outstanding 2008 season when he set ateam record and ranked third in the league with a 40.9-yardnet punting average. He allowed zero or negative puntreturn yards in seven games. He had only five touchbacks in51 punts (9.8%) for the entire season and landed 19 thoseof 51 attempts inside the 20. Among players with 40-ormorepunts, only two others allowed fewer than Scifres’146 return yards, and only five teams had more than 15punt return yards against the Chargers all season.Scifres’ outstanding season carried into the playoffswhere he enjoyed a record-breaking night in the Chargers’AFC Wild Card Playoff win over the Indianapolis Colts. Helanded all six of his punts inside the 20, the highest numberand percentage of punts ever landed inside the 20 during aplayoff game. He also averaged a playoff-record 51.7 netyards per punt as the Colts managed just six punt returnyards for the game. The Colts were forced to start drives attheir own 10, 19, 3, 7, 9 and 1-yard lines following punts.Scifres’ last punt may have been his best, a kick that rolledout of bounds at the 1-yard line, setting the stage for theChargers’ late fourth-quarter comeback.Scifres also experienced postseason success againstIndianapolis in 2007 when he helped send the Chargers tothe AFC Championship Game with a dominating performancein the Divisional Playoffs at the RCA Dome. Scifresset a team postseason record by averaging 59.0 yards perpunt. He saved his best for last again, hitting a postseasonteam-record 66-yarder with the Bolts backed up at theirown 14-yard line and only 1:42 left in the fourth quarter.Kicking from his own goal line, the Colts fielded Scifres’punt at their own 20. That punt lit a fire on the Chargers’sideline and the defense ended the Colts’ season on downsfour plays later, sending the Chargers on to the title game.Scifres went to high school in Destrehan, La. One of hisprep teammates was Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed,who funny enough was the team’s punter at the time.Because of Reed’s strong leg, Scifres was initially relegatedto kickoffs, field goals and extra points. Few would’veguessed that Scifres would turn out to be such a specialplayer. Scifres and Reed have remained friends.Mike and his wife, Stacie, are parents to twin daughtersBerkeley and Bristyn.VETERANS &RETURNING PLAYERSTRANSACTION HISTORY: Fifth-round pick (149), April 27,2003…signed, July 19…signed four-year contract extensionthrough 2011, Nov. 3, 2005...signed five-year contract extensionthrough 2016, Sept. 7, 2011.2011: Game Ball after taking over for injured Nate Kaedingand scoring first-career NFL points, including game-tying 40-yard field goal with 10:05 remaining in fourth quarter to tiegame at 17-17...last made field goal in live game had been56-yard game-winner with time expiring to give Western Illinois44-41 win over Northern Iowa in 2000 for conferencetitle...also made all three point-after tries vs. Vikings and hadtwo touchbacks on kickoffs...first touchback of season Nov.10 vs. Oakland, ending string of 23-straight punts to startseason without one...punt that ended string was 71-yarder,tying career long...Dec. 11 vs. Buffalo, helped Chargers hold16-0 lead at half by knocking consecutive punts out ofbounds at Bills’ 12 and five-yard lines late in second quarter.2010: Punt block in second quarter Sept. 19 vs. Jacksonville...two punts blocked Oct. 10 at Oakland, one for safety andContinued next pageMEDIA GUIDE | 105