shocking revelation:The all-time punter for the Bengals honors Ryan Rehkow’s all-time start; D-Line will make their NFL debut, season debut, and Hendrickson and Hill’s return
lthough he’s one punt shy of qualifying for the NFL lead, Rehkow’s massive 58.4-yard average and his 49.7 net average are yarAds ahead of his closest pursuers.
Meanwhile, McPherson has a matchup with his idol, Ravens future Hall-of-Famer Justin Tucker. He comes in 15-for-20 from 50 yards and beyond over the last three seasons compared to Tucker’s 10-for-21.
The 6-4, 235-pound Rehkow has already drilled an 80-yarder, and, with last Sunday’s game on the line in Carolina, he uncorked a 50-yarder to pin the Panthers inside their 10 with 4:42 left in a game the Bengals led by a touchdown.
“The ball just gets small when he hits it some times, when it goes up in the air,” says Bengals special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons. “I have not seen anybody who can hit balls high and as far as he can. That combination. Some guys hit the ball higher. Some hit the ball (longer). But the combination is pretty rare. He’s the most powerful guy I’ve coached.”
Huber is the franchise’s all-time leader with 216 games played, but nowadays he watches from home (“Where the couch is comfortable and the beers are cold”) and is impressed after spending some time with Rehkow one day at training camp.
“It must be nice to be a punter and be 6-3, 230, 240 pounds,” said Huber, not exactly small at 6-1, 210 pounds. “His leg strength, just his size, you could tell there’s something special about him. He has all the attributes. It was just seeing if he could do it in a game, and he’s proven he has the talent and the ability.
“The mental aspect is there, too. He’s not crumbling under the pressure. He’s making big plays. He’s done a pretty incredible job for a rookie in four games.”
Rehkow, an undrafted free agent out of BYU, turned 26 a few days after his stunning debut in the opener against the Patriots saw him break A.J. Cole III’s NFL record of 64.5 per at least four punts in a game. Simmons believes Rehkow’s maturity has helped early on: He served a two-year mission in London, and he’s been married for two years.
Simmons saw it when Rehkow told him he’s gone back to his style he had as a BYU sophomore.
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