Kai Kroeger has unique career path in mind after his football journey ends

Shane Beamer isn’t the type of person to be forgetful. He remembers just about everything from the smallest things that happened years ago to the biggest things going on now.

Even two years ago, when his punter Kai Kroeger wasn’t named a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, which is given annually to college football’s most outstanding punter, he hasn’t forgotten about that. The South Carolina coach still feels Kroeger should’ve at least been in the mix, if not outright win the award.

“I was flabbergasted two years ago because there wasn’t, and no disrespect to the punters that were the finalists,” Beamer said, “but in my mind, there wasn’t a better punter in the country than Kai two years ago. You think about what he did throughout the season. You think about what he did in the Clemson game for us two years ago.”

As Kroeger became a semifinalist for the award last Friday, Beamer still feels the same way as he did back then. He just hopes the voters will make the right call this time around.

“For him to be able to have the year he’s having right now,” Beamer said, “I didn’t think there was a better punter in the country two years ago and I don’t think there’s a better punter in the country this year, as well. Hopefully he’ll end up being a finalist for that, for sure.”

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It might be hard to believe, but statistically speaking, you could argue Kroeger is having a better season in 2024 than he did in his standout 2022 campaign. With three guaranteed games still to go, the fifth-year punter is averaging 47.7 yards per punt, the best of his career.

While he’s been punting less than he did two years ago, when you compare his first 39 punts of this year to his first 38 from 10 games into 2022, he’s actually compiled more yards this year. Now, he did punt for nearly 700 yards in the final three games two years ago to finish with 2,675 for the season. But he’s been on a good pace to where he’s undoubtedly having a great season after how last year went for him.

Kroeger called it a great honor to be in consideration for the prestigious award once again. But even if he doesn’t become a finalist or win, there are more important things going on.

“For me personally, especially this year, I’m just mainly focusing on what I can do within the game to help the team win,” Kroeger said. “Being nominated for stuff like that, it’s a great honor, like I said. But I’m more focused on other things and more importantly helping the team win.”

Come Saturday, Kroeger will play his final game at Williams-Brice Stadium, his home for the last five years. After this season ends, he’ll look to pursue his dreams of playing at the next level. But whenever he decides to hang up the cleats, he’s got some big aspirations for himself in life after football.

“I’m looking into getting into the Secret Service or FBI right now,” he said. “Secret Service is at the top but I’m kind of doing more research talking to people. I’ve met a lot of cool people through the process, so I’m just going to keep that going. But initially, NFL is the goal and I’ll let everything play out after that.”

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Kroeger recently graduated from South Carolina in May of 2024 with a major in history and a minor in criminal justice. It’s no easy task to join the Secret Service, as there’s an extensive in-depth background check and long hiring process, which can take a handful of months. But it’s something he wants to do in the future.

“I’ve always been interested in the military and law enforcement. I’ve had some family serve and I’m very proud of that. But for me specifically, especially with in more recent times, I’ve kind of turned more to the federal law enforcement level,” Kroeger said.

“And I’ve met some people and some family friends that have been in the Secret Service or federal law enforcement, and they told me great things. So, I’ve taken all that knowledge and it kind of just seems something that, it’s my calling.”

That’s more of his down-the-road goal with his focus right now still being on the task at hand in football. Regardless of where things go from here, Kroeger is happy with the way his final season as a Gamecock is going.

“I’m very proud of myself for how I’ve kind of responded to everything and how I’ve handled my business off the field and on the field so far this season,” he said. “A lot of things that I’m still looking to achieve and that the team wants to achieve and so that’s what I’m looking forward to.”

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