South Carolina punter Kai Kroeger one of Gamecocks' biggest weapons
South Carolina’s special teams have been next to none this season. Led by Pete Lembo, the group has been the backbone of the Gamecock’s success.
Junior punter Kai Kroeger is the leader of Lembo’s platoon. Kroeger is averaging 45.6 yards per punt this season which lands him at tenth-best in Division I football.
“He’s phenomenal,” Shane Beamer said. “He’s just a really really good football player and a great leader for this football team. Any accolades that come his way or are well deserved.”
Kroeger had a rocky start to the season. After the bye week, he has turned into a weapon for South Carolina.
“I feel good about where I’m at, up until the bye week there were some highs and some lows but I think after the bye week I’ve kind of mentally reset,” Kroeger said.
Kroeger earned SEC special teams player of the week after his performance against Vanderbilt. This is his third time earning the honor and the first time this season.
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“I’ve done a lot of preparation both physically and mentally since the bye week and I think it showed on the field um so I’m definitely happy about post bye week,” Kroeger said.
There is a method to the madness that Kroeger has been producing this season. Kroeger uses meditation and affirmations starting the night before the game and into the game.
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“A lot of it is just imagination, you know whether it’s right before I go to bed just imagining the next day or the punts I’m going to have or pre-game. Just kind of imagining I’m going to be in this situation and then I hit a punt and it’s like okay I did this and now I know what to do in the game,” Kroeger said.
The visualization is paying off. Imaging what will happen helps Kroeger get comfortable before the moment even arrives.
“Anything I can do to just kind of prepare myself so when I’m in that situation it’s not like I’ve never been there before,” Kroeger said.
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Kroeger is a really good punter, but he is also a pretty good quarterback. He is 2/2 for 36 yards on fake punts which sets his passer rating at 251.2.
“He’s a talented punter as we’ve shown he’s controlled fuel position for us and he’s a weapon with the ball’s in his hands,” Beamer said
Kroeger says that he wouldn’t mind getting a few reps under center. If Spencer Rattler were to ever go down, the Gamecocks always have Kroeger as an option at backup.
“I’d love to get some if the opportunity came, I’d have to talk to coach Satt first,” Kroeger said.
