HIGHLY RA HIGHLY. HIGHLY RATED. HIGHLY MOTIVATED. THE “WOLFPACK” HAS SET AN NFL STANDARD OVER THE LAST SEVERAL SEASONS. By Marisol Renner
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EVER HEARD THE HOWL OF A LONE WOLF LATE AT NIGHT UNDER A FULL MOON? Well, even if you haven’t, you can hear in your head what it might sound like, right? On fall days when the weather is cool, Ravens players, coaches, staff and anyone else around the team’s practice facility has the distinct opportunity to hear a loud HOWL … No, it’s not a lone wolf. It’s All-Pro kicker Justin Tucker. As he exits the Ravens’ locker room and sprints onto the practice field, Tucker lets out his signature howl. It’s his way of announcing the start of another practice; it’s his way of keeping his teammates on their toes; it’s his way of keeping the mood light. “It’s just his personality,” says punter Sam Koch. “We’ve come to enjoy it and embrace it.” Adds long snapper Morgan Cox: “We think [his personality] is what also makes him great. It keeps his confidence level high, keeps the mood high and keeps all of us loose. And, we’re able to do what we do.”
Indeed, the “Wolfpack,” as Tucker coined the trio back when he was a rookie in 2012, does what they do, and they do it with extraordinary success. Consider these facts: In the NHL, hockey players average a shooting percentage of 9.1 – for every 100 shots they take, only nine of them are goals. … A Major League Baseball player is viewed as great when he gets a hit 30 percent of the time. … And even the most accurate quarterback in NFL history, Drew Brees, completes only 66.7% of his passes. Depending on the week, Tucker is either the first- or second-most accurate kicker in NFL history. He has connected on a staggering 89.6% of his field goal attempts. Let’s break down the entire field goal process. Everything must run to perfection. The Snap. The Hold. The Kick. When Cox snaps the ball, he is expected
WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON BEING HIGHLY EFFICIENT.
– Justin Tucker
K Justin Tucker is the NFL’s second-most accurate kicker of all time, hitting on 181 of 202 FGAs to produce an 89.6 success rate. In 2016, he connected on 38 of 39 FGAs (lone miss was a block), posting the fifth-best pct. (97.4) in NFL single-season history.
89.6
Career FG Pct. Second-Best Mark in NFL History
BEST CAREER FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE (NFL History / Min. 100 Att.) Rk. Player 1. Dan Bailey 2. Justin Tucker 3. Kai Forbath 4. Stephen Gostkowski 5. Steven Hauschka
ourselves on being highly efficient. And then in the moments where I’m not, we all pick each other back up, and we move right on to the next one, and then we’re highly efficient again.”
to succeed nearly 100 percent of the time. If it’s a bad snap, sometimes the group can recover, but Cox, who has been the team’s long snapper since 2010, succeeds at an insane rate.
“The expectation around us, we know, is very high,” says Tucker. “But, I don’t think people really understand the pressure that we put on ourselves to be, not just good, but to be great.”
Likewise, the holder, Koch, who has also consistently been amongst the league leaders in punting for over a decade, has the significant role of handling the snap and then positioning the football with “12 O’clock laces,” all in a very short, pressurized time frame. The success rates for both Cox and Koch are simply astounding. But, we’ve all come to expect it.
Part of the reason we have such a high expectation of these specialists is that they make it look so easy. The truth is, the trio works extremely hard at its craft. “The idea of making it look easy lies in hours and hours of hard work on and off the field, studying yourself, testing yourself physically and pushing the limits,” reveals Tucker. “We pride
The group’s three unique personalities seem to gel exceptionally well. They place high expectations on each other, yet know how and when to support one another when a part of the process might be struggling. Having spent countless hours together both on and off the field, they’ve built a chemistry over the years that allows them to encourage each other in individual ways. “We demand [excellence] out of each other every day, and I think that’s an indication of the character that all three of us carry into our work,” explains Cox. “We all hold each other accountable for every step of the process,” adds Koch. That accountability helps keep them grounded in the rare and exclusive NFL environment in which they have thrived.
FGM-FGA Pct. 178-198 89.9 181-202 89.6 101-115 87.8 319-365 87.4 205-235 87.2
181 FGs Made
NFL’s Most Since 2012
And moreover, now that all three are fathers (Tucker and Cox both became dads in the last couple of years, and Koch is the father of four), they truly understand the importance of accountability and staying grounded for their families. No matter how successful they are on the field, being a husband and father are the most important roles in their lives. “As soon as [my son] Easton came to be, I felt like I got instant clarity as far as what’s the most important thing I could be doing,” acknowledges Tucker. “It’s the most important role that I’ll assume, and everything else is secondary. At the same time, football is really, really important, and making kicks is the best way that I can support my family.” Now in his sixth NFL season, Tucker has evolved both as a man and as one the NFL’s all-time best kickers. His “howling” success has been the result of a strong work ethic, supportive and exceptional teammates and a spirited personality.
WHATEVER THE MAGIC FORMULA IS, IT’S WORKING.