ProFootballFocus.com's analysis of each play of every game in the NFL is respected around the league, so when they release their season-ending lists of the best players in football, everyone reads it. The Falcons didn't have any players on the year's All-Pro list or All-Rookie team, but PFF's All-Sophomoreteam featured two second-year Falcons.

Joining Julio Jones on the All-Sophomore team is a Falcon who hasn't yet started getting many accolades, but put together a solid season for the Falcons. Punter Matt Bosher, drafted in the sixth round, helped the Falcons finish ninth in the NFL in average yards per punt and only 26 of his 60 punts were returned. Bosher also serves as the team's kickoff specialist.


(atlantafalcons.com)

In all, as many as 212 players will participate in the AFC and NFC championship games on Sunday – four teams, 53 players per team. When including players not on the active rosters of the four teams playing for a shot at the Super Bowl, however, the total jumps to more than 250.

The schools represented on the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens range from college football's elite (Alabama, Ohio State, Texas and Florida) to those situated far outside the national picture (Hillsdale, Bellhaven, Lane and Indiana).

Here are the eight schools most represented by the four teams playing Sunday for a trip to the Super Bowl:

1. Miami (Fla.): 12. P Matt Bosher, OL Harland Gunn, DL Micanor Regis (Atlanta); LB Tavares Gooden, RB Frank Gore (San Francisco); DL Vince Wilfork, DL Marcus Forston (New England); LB Ray Lewis, OL Bryant McKinnie, RB Damien Berry, WR Tommy Streeter, S Ed Reed (Baltimore).

2. (tie) Oregon: 7. WR Drew Davis (Atlanta); RB LaMichael James, FB Will Tukuafu (San Francisco); TE Ed Dickson, DL Haloti Ngata, QB Dennis Dixon (Baltimore).

2. (tie) Florida: 7. LB Mike Peterson (Atlanta); DL Ray McDonald (San Francisco); DL Jermaine Cunningham, RB Jeff Demps, TE Aaron Hernandez, LB Brandon Spikes (New England); WR Deonte Thompson (Baltimore).

4. (tie) Alabama: 6. OL Mike Johnson, WR Julio Jones (Atlanta); DL Brandon Deaderick, LB Dont'a Hightower (New England); DL Terrence Cody, LB Courtney Upshaw (Baltimore).

4. (tie) Iowa: 6. DL Jonathan Babineaux (Atlanta); LB Jeff Tarpinian, TE Brad Herman, OL Markus Zusevics (New England); S Sean Considine, OL Marshal Yanda (Baltimore).

4. (tie) Texas: 6. OL Justin Blalock (Atlanta); CB Tarell Brown, OL Leonard Davis (San Francisco); OL Kyle Hix (New England); CB Chykie Brown, K Justin Tucker (Baltimore).

4. (tie) South Carolina: 6. DL John Abraham, DL Cliff Matthews, DL Travian Robertson, CB Dunta Robinson (Atlanta); S Emanuel Cook, CB Chris Culliver (Baltimore).

4. (tie) Ohio State: 6. OL Alex Boone, WR Ted Ginn Jr., LB Larry Grant, S Donte Whitner (San Francisco); TE Jake Ballard, S Nate Ebner (New England).
Another eight schools have five players on the rosters: Arizona State, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, UCF, Rutgers, Syracuse and Illinois.

Teams with four players: Oklahoma State, Marshall, Michigan, Fresno State, Utah, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri, Louisville, LSU and Georgia Tech.

Three players: Auburn, Wisconsin, Maryland, California, Wake Forest, Florida State, Penn State, Kansas, Purdue, Northwestern, Texas Tech and Arkansas.

Two players: Baylor, Michigan State, Stanford, Boston College, Clemson, Connecticut, ECU, Oregon State, Richmond, San Jose State, Kentucky, Montana, North Carolina, Northern Illinois, TCU, UCLA, Notre Dame, Central Michigan, Delaware, Iowa State, Colorado, Tennessee State, Nebraska, Buffalo, Arizona and Washburn.

Luck of the draw plays a role, of course, but it's a bit surprising to see that schools like Virginia Tech, USC, Oklahoma and Texas A&M only have one player each on the four rosters. Not surprising? That one player represents schools like Prairie View A&M, Lane, Harvard, Weber State, Chadron State (Danny Woodhead), Hillsdale and Hofstra (which no longer has a football program).


(usatoday.com)

FLOWERY BRANCH — Special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong confirmed that kickoff specialist Matt Bosher mis-hit his final kickoff that allowed Seattle to throw a pass into the Falcons’ end zone as time expired Sunday.

He said that it was a human error.

Bosher also mis-hit two punts that were returned for 9 and 15 yards. He had a net average of 30 yards and failed to get good hang-time in order to limit the returns of Seattle’s Leon Washington.

“We did not punt the ball as well as we’d like to in terms of what we’re asking our guys to do,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “The last kick was not executed the way it’s supposed to be executed. It was not the type of play that we needed to have at that point in time.”

Armstrong noted that Bosher did have a fine squib kick against Oakland on Oct. 14.

Armstrong didn’t believe that Bosher, a second-year player, was under too much pressure in his second playoff game.

“He had an outstanding game last year against the Giants in the wind and cold up there,” Armstrong said. “He smashed the ball to a really good returner. I don’t think it was that at all. It’s like anything else … sometimes you’re going to have a bad day.”

Bosher will be on the spot against the 49ers, who blocked a punt against then-Falcons punter Michael Koenen in 2010 at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons won 16-14 after some heroics by Harvey Dahl, Roddy White and Matt Ryan in the final 1:31 of the game.


(ajc.com)

Co-Offensive Players of the Week:

Reggie Wayne: proCane Colts WR Reggie Wayne caught five catches and scored the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter with a little over four minutes to play to help seal an unexpected playoff berth for a young Colts team. Wayne helped Luck break the single-season rookie passing record Sunday, ranks sixth in the NFL with 1,315 yards and fifth in receptions with 102. Wayne extended his NFL record 63 game streak of having 3 or more receptions.

Andre Johnson: proCane Texans WR Andre Johnson recorded his 800th career reception in Sunday's loss to Minnesota, reaching the impressive milestone in the second-fewest games of any player in league history (Marvin Harrison). The 10th-year wide receiver built on another terrific season with a seven-catch performance, eclipsing the 100-catch plateau for the fourth time in his career. The Miami, Fla., native, who has the fourth-most catches of any active player, now ranks third in the NFL with 1,457 receiving yards and fifth with 100 receptions. Johnson finished the game with 7 catches for 97 yards.

Lamar Miller: proCane Dolphins RB Lamar Miller in his first chance at extended play for Miami this season didn’t disappoint. Miller rushed 10 times for 73 yards in Sunday's win over the Bills, leading the Dolphins in rushing. Miller is getting an extended look with Daniel Thomas out for the season, and showed big-play ability while filling in for Reggie Bush. He should go into the offseason no worse than second on the running back depth chart, and could be considered for a starting role if Bush doesn't re-sign.

Honorable Mention: Santana Moss, WR Redskins.

Defensive Players of Week:

Sam Shields: proCane Packers DB Sam Shields continued his stellar play after returning from injury three weeks ago. Shields had 1 tackle, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass deflection and 1 interception in Packers blowout victory over the Titans. Since his return Dec. 9 from an ankle injury, Shields has two interceptions in three games, his first sack in nearly two years and seven passes defensed, just a few stats to tell of his big hits, inseparable coverage and feisty nature in no man's land.
Honorable Mention: Calais Campbell, DE Cardinals.

Special Teams Player of the Week:

Matt Bosher: proCane Falcons P Matt Bosher continued his great 2nd season with four punts in Week 16. Bosher’s four punts totaled 167 yards with a long of 47 yards, and average of 41.8 yards and two punts were downed inside the 20-yard line.

Co-Offensive Players of the Week:

Leonard Hankerson: proCane Redskins WR Leonard Hankerson caught two passes for 56 yards with two touchdowns in the Redskins' Week 15 win over the Browns. Hankerson made the most of his two targets. His first score came when he blew past Sheldon Brown and Kirk Cousins threaded the needle between three Browns for a 54-yard score in the first quarter. His second touchdown came on a simple goal-line bootleg from Cousins. Don't chase these plays as Hankerson continues to rotate with Josh Morgan opposite No. 1 target Pierre Garcon.

Andre Johnson: proCane Texans WR Andre Johnson caught 11 balls for 151 yards and a touchdown as the Texans defeated the Colts 29-17 in Week 15.
He was targeted 13 times, a game high on either side of the ball. Johnson was truly dominant against Colts top CB Vontae Davis, consistently winning 50:50 balls in the air and scoring from three yards out on a rub route deep in the red zone. Johnson has reasserted himself at age 31 as a top-five NFL receiver and likely future Hall of Famer. The past eight games have been the most productive stretch of Johnson's career, averaging 8.4 catches and 119.6 yards per game. He needs just seven receptions and 140 yards to join Marvin Harrison as the only receivers with at least 100 catches and 1,500 yards in three seasons. Andre Johnson also topped 11,000 career receiving yards this week

Honorable Mention: Travis Benjamin WR Browns, Jimmy Graham TE Saints, Frank Gore RB 49ers.

Defensive Players of Week:

Calais Campbell: proCane Cardinals DE Calais Campbell in his first game back from a calf injury played his best all-around game since Week 2 at New England despite still dealing with the lingering effects of a calf injury that sidelined him for a month. He wasn’t in pain while he recorded eight tackles, four for losses, a sack, a quarterback hurry and a pass deflection, but his calf wasn’t completely healed either.
Honorable Mention: Sam Shields DB Packers

Special Teams Player of the Week:

Matt Bosher: proCane Falcons P Matt Bosher continued his great 2nd season though this week he only had two punts but made them count. Bosher’s two punts totaled 100 yards with a long of 61 yards, and average of 50 yards and one touchback.

FLOWERY BRANCH — Punter Matt Bosher was named the Atlanta Falcons’ nominee for the 2012 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award on Tuesday.

Bosher, a two-year veteran with the Atlanta Falcons, is a 2010 graduate of the University of Miami with a degree in History.

“Receiving an award like this is truly humbling,” Bosher said in a statement. “I am very lucky and appreciate all the Atlanta Falcons organization has done to provide me with opportunities to give back to the community. Since my first day as an NFL player I have learned that I have the ability to make a difference.”

During the season, Bosher made five surprise visits to Gwinnett County Fire stations to thank service men and women for their hard work and dedication in the community in commemoration of September 11.

Along with fellow teammates, he signed autographs, took photographs and toured the different stations. He signed autographs and took photographs with fans at a Publix Super Market in Newnan, as part of the Falcons Tailgate team.

He attended the 4th Annual Atlanta Falcons Dazzle & Dine event, which honors five breast cancer survivors for their commitment to the fight against breast cancer.

Prior to dinner, the ladies were treated to special day at Jamison Shaw Hairdressers where they received hair, makeup and nail services. Bosher invited his mother, a breast-cancer survivor, and spoke to the group about his personal experience.

Bosher joined the entire roster along with team executives, front office staff and members of the Atlanta Falcons Women’s Association in this year’s Hometown Huddle event.

This year, the Falcons hosted Play 60 fitness visits at six United Way affiliated elementary schools in metro Atlanta, made an additional stop at a local Publix Super Market and the Atlanta Falcons Women’s Association prepared and served lunch to the homeless at Crossroads Community Ministries.

Bosher participated in the Atlanta Falcons First Down for Fitness event at Marbut Elementary Theme School in Lithonia, where he helped lead an Atlanta Falcons Gatorade Junior Training Camp and coached the children through the various football stations.

He signed autographs, took photographs and visited patients at the Shepherd Spinal Center, attended the annual Atlanta Falcons FootBowl tournament to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at the 300 Bowling Alley and attended a VIP experience at Cirque Du Soleil in Atlantic Station where he interacted with the performers and promoted upcoming performances.

And, finally, Bosher hosted and purchased a catered Thanksgiving meal, alongside teammates Matt Bryant and Josh Harris, for 250 women and children at the Atlanta Mission.

Bosher has participated in all 13 games this season with 48 punts for 2,275 yards with a 47.4 average.

Since 1970, the NFL has awarded the Walter Payton NFL Man of the year Award to recognize a player’s off-the-field community service as well as his playing excellence. Each club is responsible for selecting their own nominee while the 2011 national Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year winner will be selected by a blue ribbon panel and recognized on field before kickoff of the Super Bowl.


(blogs.ajc.com)

The Atlanta Falcons held their third annual Community Honors dinner where they recognized the Community Quarterback and Community All-Star winners, as well as announcing the 2012 Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner.

That winner, it was announced Monday night, is punter Matt Bosher.

The Atlanta Falcons Man of the Year award recognizes a player’s off-the-field community service. Each team in the NFL nominates one player from their organization for this prestigious honor. The winner will be considered in the final selection of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award which will be announced during halftime of the Super Bowl XLVII.

Along with Bosher, the other nominees were Kevin Cone, Stephen Nicholas and Sean Weatherspoon.

The event was also scheduled to be attended by past Man of the Year winners Morten Andersen, Scott Case, Buddy Curry, Brian Finneran, Michael Haynes, Mike Kenn, Ovie Mughelli and Christopher Owens.

Last year’s winner, defensive tackle Corey Peters, had the honor of announcing Bosher as the winner.


(atlantafalcons.com)

Offensive Player of the Week:

Greg Olsen: Carolina Panthers TE Greg Olsen who only had one catch on the day was a big one as Olsen's 47-yard score, which tied the game at 7-7 in the first quarter, was the second-longest play of his career, and his best since a 52-yard reception in 2008. Olsen ranks second on the team with 50 catches and 636 yards. He is one of two proCane tight ends with more than 600 receiving yards on the season, joining New Orleans Saints' Pro Bowler Jimmy Graham (654). Olsen this week set a new career high with 636 yard receiving this season.

Honorable Mention: Reggie Wayne: proCane Colts WR Reggie Wayne was held to four catches for 51 yards in the Colts' Week 13 win over the Lions but Wayne extended his NFL record 60 games streak of having 3 or more receptions. Wayne is on pace for 117 catches, 1,541 yards and four touchdowns heading into a matchup with the Titans in Week 14.

Co-Defensive Players of Week:

Ed Reed: proCane Ravens safety Ed Reedplayed a role in two Ravens turnovers, including a key interception in the endzone off Steelers' quarterback Charlie Batch to preserve a late fourth-quarter lead. Reed increased his lead in all-time interception return yardage to 1,541 on the play, returning to Baltimore's 34-yard line. The interception, the 61st of his career, solidified the Reed’s position at No. 10 all-time in the category. Reed also recovered a fumble in the third quarter, the 10th recovery of his career.

Brandon Harris: proCane Houston Texans second-year cornerback was expected to play a key role in Sunday's game against Tennessee - and he delivered. Seeing an increased role due to injuries to usual starters in the secondary, Harris led the team with six tackles. Harris, who drew widespread praise for his performance, was also credited with two pass defenses. Harris will continue to play a key role for the Texans defense as injuries have taken a toll on their secondary.

Honorable Mention: Darryl Sharpton.

Special Teams Player of the Week:

Matt Bosher: proCane Falcons P Matt Bosher continued his great 2nd season and firmly planted himself among the better punters in the league. His performance against the Saints may have been one of the best games of his career. His punting average of 53.2 yards was a career high and his six punts tied a season high. Of those punts four were returned but credit the coverage teams for limiting the Saints to a 15-yard return average. The Saints average starting drive position was their own 25-yard line. Bosher's 47.9 punting average this season is ranked ninth in the league. His 15 fair catches on punts is tied for fourth in the NFL.

As the currently popular football adage goes, "punters are people, too."

With that in mind, let's take a look at one of the better performances in Thursday's win over the Saints that won't get much mention.

Second-year punter Matt Bosher's early rookie season struggles are a distant memory. Since the later portion of last season through Thursday night, he's firmly planted himself among the better punters in the league. His performance against the Saints may have been one of the best games of his career.

While the defense gets a lot of deserved credit for preventing the Saints from scoring touchdowns after the offense struggled for much of the game, Bosher should get some credit for setting up field position favorable for the Falcons. After a number of three-and-out situations, Bosher continued to take the field and pin the Saints deep.

His punting average of 53.2 yards was a career high and his six punts tied a season high. Of those punts four were returned but credit the coverage teams for limiting the Saints to a 15-yard return average. The Saints average starting drive position was their own 25-yard line.

Bosher's 47.9 punting average this season is ranked ninth in the league. His 15 fair catches on punts is tied for fourth in the NFL.


(atlantafalcons.com)

Co-Offensive Players of the Week:

Jimmy Graham: proCane Saints TE Jimmy Graham hauled in seven passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns on eight targets to lead the Saints to a 31-27 victory over the Falcons in Week 10. Safety William Moore bit twice on the double move, allowing Drew Brees to throw a pair of pump-fake deep balls to Graham for a 29-yard touchdown and a 46-yard fourth-quarter gain. Graham added a 14-yard score just before halftime. After his first 100-yard game of the season, Graham is averaging a 7/94/1.3 line over the past three weeks.

Greg Olsen: Following an emotional week for proCane Panthers TE Greg Olsen in which he welcomed his son TJ home after being hospitalized after birth and undergoing surgery due to a heart condition, Olsen exploded for a career-high nine receptions, 102 yards and two touchdowns versus the Broncos in Week 10. The 102 yards are a regular-season career high. Tight ends have been the weak spot in Denver's defense all season and today was no different. Olsen had catches of 26 and 16 yards to set up a 4-yard touchdown and added a 5-yard score in garbage time.

Honorable Mention: Frank Gore, Reggie Wayne.

Defensive Player of Week:

Colin McCarthy: proCane Titans LB Colin McCarthy rose slowly after a violent hit and wobbled as he left the field. Three plays later he was back in the game and in the end zone, celebrating a 49-yard interception return for a touchdown. McCarthy and his team's embattled defense bounced back Sunday, when their four takeaways led to 20 points and helped the Titans beat the Miami Dolphins 37-3. McCarthy finished the game with 3 tackles, 1 tackle for loss one INT and a TD. McCarthy’s TD put the Titans up 21-0 and essentially the game out of reach for the Dolphins.

Honorable Mention: Vince Wilfork, Allen Bailey.

Special Teams Player of the Week:

Matt Bosher: proCane Falcons P Matt Bosher continued his great 2nd season with 3 punts for 140 yards and a 46.7 average. Bosher had a long of 52 yards and placed one of his punts inside the 20-yard line. Bosher is also Atlanta’s holder and held two successful field goals for Matt Bryant.

As I watched Atlanta’s Matt Bosher on Sunday, I couldn’t help but think how patience paid off for the Falcons.

Early last season, a lot of fans were screaming for the Falcons to dump their rookie punter. His punts were short and so were his kickoffs. But the Falcons had a draft pick invested in him and were stuck with him. It started to pay off as last season went on, but Bosher is really blossoming this season.

Each week since the start of last season, ESPN’s Mark Simon has picked a Punter of the Week. His choice for this week is Bosher and you can’t argue with that.

Bosher averaged 52.8 yards per punt both gross and net in Sunday’s victory against Oakland. Bosher’s four punts went 55, 45, 57 and 54 yards.

The 52.8-yard net average was the best for any NFL punter this past week and the best for any punter this season (minimum four punts). It is tied for third-best by any punter in the last five seasons.

Complete net punting data dates back to 1991. Bosher’s 52.8 net average is the best for any Atlanta punter in that span.


(espn.com)

Atlanta Falcons holder Matt Bosher (5), reacts along with kicker Matt Bryant (2), after Bryant's winning field goal kick against the Carolina Panthers in the second half of their NFL football game in Atlanta, Georgia September 30, 2012.

Entering last season one of the team’s major question marks was rookie punter Matt Bosher.

That will not be the case entering the 2012 season.

Bosher averaged 47.3 yards on seven punts against Jacksonville and placed three kicks inside the Jaguars 20-yard line. He put one punt down at the 1-yard line and another at the 4-yard line.

Overall, he placed 11 of 20 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.

After just pinning opponents inside the 20, 27 times last (tied for 10th in the league, Bosher worked on his directional punting this offseason.


(blogs.ajc.com)

Earlier in the offseason, special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong said he felt punter Matt Bosher was the one player that was hurt the most last year by the lack of an offseason.

Bosher’s rookie season as a kickoff specialist and punter didn’t start the way he wanted to, but he found his way as the season progressed. Down the stretch last season, Bosher averaged more than 50 yards per punt in five of the final six games. The one game he didn’t accomplish the 50-yard average, he netted a 47.8 average.

This year, with the benefit of the offseason, Bosher feels like he can avoid some of the early-season struggles.

“Last year, I didn’t start the way I wanted,” he said. “It’s a new year. I had a good, long offseason this year. I had OTAs and minicamp. I got a lot of work done here. Coach Armstrong has really done a lot, dedicating his time to help me get better. He’s trying to help me succeed this year.”

While they’re not clear-cut goals, Bosher and Armstrong are striving to reach that 50-yard punt average in every game and force as many touchbacks as possible on kickoffs. While Bosher has complete faith in his coverage teams, he wants to stay consistent and pin teams back like he did to close 2011.

“I’m trying to get a good ball (on kickoffs),” he said. “If I hit a good ball, I know it’ll go back in the end zone. It’s just trying to be calm and stay nice and smooth and hit the ball.”

As is the case with so many aspects of football, Bosher compares the punting game to making a soup with numerous ingredients. The ingredients he’s using he feels good about and his confidence is growing as a punter in the league.

“I’m trying to get fair catches, trying to keep the ball outside,” he said. “The returners in this league are very good. There are a lot of ingredients. It’s like making a good soup. You’ve got a bunch of ingredients and put it all together and you’ll make something good. It took me a couple of games to get into that stride and get everything put together. The end of the season last year and into this season, I feel like I’ve been able to put all those ingredients and it’s really coming together.”


(atlantafalcons.com)

Perhaps one of the less-written-about storylines in professional football is the pressure a punter faces every time he steps out on the field.

Naturally, the position isn’t exactly written about all the time. A good punter is like a good offensive lineman: You only hear about him if he’s suddenly not so good, and if he’s good, he might as well be invisible.

When a team spends a draft pick on a punter, however, that pressure has got to increase exponentially.

Matt Bosher — drafted by the Falcons in the sixth round in 2011 out of Miami — posted some rough early results in 2011, with punting averages ranging in the low-to-mid 30s, and it didn’t take long for fans to call for Bosher to get the boot.

With the lockout last year canceling OTAs and minicamp, Bosher — like most rookies — was affected immensely, but special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong thinks it was the No. 1 reason why the rookie punter was slow out of the gate.

“He would have liked to avoid a slow start last year,” Armstrong told AtlantaFalcons.com, “but he suffered the most from the lack of OTAs and minicamp because we knew there were some things that we needed to address with him, but by the rules, we couldn’t get to him, we couldn’t address his issues, so we had to do it during the season.”

Once Armstrong got Bosher caught up, the effects started to show on the field as Bosher finished the season extremely strong. In the last six games of the regular season, Bosher averaged more than 50 yards per punt in every game except one, when he averaged 47.8.

Bosher finished his rookie season with a 42.7 yards-per-punt average, which put him at No. 30 in the league in the category, but his first portion of the season provided an unbalanced look at Bosher’s potential.

In 2012, Armstrong is looking to avoid the low numbers as he expects Bosher to continue to grow into a reliable leg for the Falcons.

“You’d like to see him start off with the same consistency that he finished the season with,” Armstrong said of Bosher’s progression heading into 2012. “I think he will grow. He’s become more knowledgable about his profession. He’s done a nice job here in the offseason with his work, so I think he’s preparing himself, because he wants to avoid a slow start.”


(atlantafalcons.com)

Every Thursday Night proCanes.com joins All Canes Radio to bring the latest news on not only current Hurricane football but also proCane news and exclusive interviews with current and former proCanes live from the All Canes Store in Coral Gables. Click here to listen to this week’s show and hear our exclusive interview with proCane rookie Matt Bosher of the Atlanta Falcons. Bosher was drafted by the Falcons last year and won the starting punting, holder and kick off duties. Bosher talks about the ups and downs of his rookie year, his days as a Hurricane and much more!

Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones, punter Matt Bosher and linebacker Akeem Dent were all named to Pro Football Weekly’s all-rookie team, as voted on by Pro Football Weekly and the Professional Writers of America.

Bosher, a sixth-round pick, averaged 42.7 yards per punt, with four touchbacks and he placed 27 punts inside the 20-yard line.


(ajc.com)

FLOWERY BRANCH –  Falcons coach Mike Smith has been pleased with the progress of rookie punter Matt Bosher. (BTW, he wasn’t too happy with the blocked punt vs. Jax, but that wasn’t on Bosher).

“He’s really helped us in the field position battle,” Smith said. “When you win the field position battle, it usually leads to good things. It also can lead to winning the time of possession battle.”

Bosher, a sixth-round pick from Miami, got off to a bumpy start but has come on over the past six games. During those games, he’s averaged 45.9, 45.4., 33, 50.4, 50.5 and 40.8 yards. His season averages are a respectable 42.1 yards gross and 38.5 yards net.

“The special teams players have been getting down field and helping out on my punts by forcing a lot of fair catches and making tackles so my net average is good,” Bosher said.

Falcons special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong likes to utilize specialty punts in order to enhance the coverage. Bosher had to learn a lot about directional punting.

“If you can get a guy pinned down in the corner with most of your team over there covering him, he doesn’t have anywhere to run,” Bosher said. “We are just trying to give our coverage guys the best chance to make the best play.”

Bosher battled through his early season problems, averaging less than 40 yards per punt over his first five games. He credited Armstrong, long snapper Joe Zelenka and kicker Matt Bryant with helping him through that rough stretch.

“They kept me mentally strong and allowed me to find a groove and I started to play to my potential,” Bosher said.


(blogs.ajc.com)

Rookie punter Matt Bosher struggled early in the season. But the Falcons stuck with him and that’s starting to pay off. Bosher has been kicking better recently. He got off a booming punt early in the second quarter that was muffed by Jarett Dillard. Sean Weatherspoon recovered the ball at Jacksonville’s 5-yard line and Michael Turner scored on the next play.

Bosher was having a good game, until he had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown in the third quarter.



(espn.com)

Every Sunday, ESPN Stats & Information selects a punter of the day.

For Sunday, it was Atlanta’s Matt Bosher. This is significant because early in the season the rookie struggled. Critics called for the Falcons to release Bosher as he hit a series of short punts and kickoffs.

But the Falcons have stayed with Bosher and it’s starting to pay off. In Sunday’s victory against Carolina, Bosher averaged 47.8 yards (gross) and 46.0 (net) on six punts. Three of his punts landed inside the Carolina 20-yard line.

It was the second straight game in which Bosher had a strong day. In a loss to Houston last week, his net average was 48.0 yards.



(espn.com)

Matt Bosher who took his lumps early on and has come back to be a very solid punter and kickoff specialist as a rookie.

Bosher is one of the best punters in the NFL right now. He averaged 47.8 yards per punt yesterday, three times landing it inside the 20 yard line. After a lot of rookie mistakes early in the year, I have to believe he's going to a mainstay in Atlanta for a very long time to come.



(falcoholic.com)

ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) - Atlanta Falcons players are not only scoring big on the field, but off the field too.

Several Falcons football players are giving back this Thanksgiving holiday by serving meals for a variety of causes.

On Monday at 5 p.m., cornerback Christopher Owens and safety Shann Schillnger will be treating 100 men from the Shepherd's Inn, the men's facility of the Atlanta Mission, to a Thanksgiving meal. The players will be serving food, signing autographs and taking photographs throughout the evening.

On Tuesday at 5 p.m., Kicker Matt Bryant, punter Matt Bosher and long snapper Joe Zelenka will be serving food, signing autographs and taking photographs throughout the evening for 250 women and children from My Sister's House, the women's and children's facility of the Atlanta Mission.

Also on Tuesday, the Atlanta Falcons Rookie Club sponsored by UnitedHealthcare of Georgia will be preparing and serving Thanksgiving lunch at Crossroads Community Ministries. Each year, Crossroads Community Ministries serves over 74,000 meals to over 4,300 homeless men, women and children.


(cbsatlanta.com)

Falcons sixth-rounder Matt Bosher, the team’s punter, has been relied on the most of any Falcons rookie. After enduring some early struggles, his average of 66.4 yards is tops among five rookie kickoff specialists, and his 11 punts inside the 20-yard line have him tied for the fifth-most in the league.

Like Bosher, Atlanta experienced a rocky start. Now, fresh off back-to-back wins and a week of rest, its rookies will continue to be relied upon in the Falcons’ quest for another NFC playoff appearance.

“The team found its rhythm,” Bosher said. “You just have to go out every week, practice hard and finish everything you do. I think that’s something we’ve done the past few weeks especially.”

Click here to order Matt Bosher’s proCane Rookie Card.


(forsythnews.com)

FLOWERY BRANCH — Rookie punter Matt Bosher has had a jagged start to his NFL career.

He is averaging 36.9 yards on 32 punts, which ranks him 35th in the league. He has placed 11 punts inside the 20 and has forced 15 fair catches with his hang-time. The 15 fair catches is tops in the league.

“When you look at him over the last four weeks, three of the four weeks have been pretty good,” special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong said. “He’s done a pretty good job for us. He’s done a really good job of placing the ball.”

Bosher, who’s attempting to replace Michael Koenen, who signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent, also has been inconsistent on his kickoffs.

He has 10 touchbacks on 36 kickoffs (27.8 percent), which is 29th in the league for players with more than 20 kickoffs. Denver’s Matt Prater leads the league with 26 touchbacks on 30 kickoffs (86.7 percent). Koenen has 15 touchbacks on 31 kickoffs (48.4 percent).

“Kickoff wise, we still need to work on some things in terms of corner kicking and that type of stuff,” Armstrong said. “I think, all in all, he’s making progress. That’s the biggest thing. Is he where he really wants to be, I would say, not right now. But he is making progress. He is becoming more and more consistent.”

Click here to order Matt Bosher’s proCane Rookie Card.


(ajc.com)

Rookie Punter Bosher has been criticized lately for his lack of good punting, but on Sunday he lookied good on punting and kickoffs. Bosher averaged 43 yards on three punts and placed two punts inside the 20-yard line.

Matt Bosher doesn’t come close to kicking the ball out of the end zone on kickoffs and was only able to pin the Bucs on the 19 after punting from the 50. Bosher had 3 punts for a 31.0 yard average with 1 inside the 20 and a long of 38.



Click here to order Matt Bosher’s proCane Rookie Card.

The rookie punter experiment isn’t going so hot to date for the Falcons. Matt Bosher did finally boom one through the end zone on a kickoff towards the end and gave good hang time on the last punt of the game, but other than that he’s off to a really rough start. Almost every single kickoff against us by our opponents has gone through the end zone and Bosher got his first one of all preseason and first two games on Sunday night. Even worse, he had like a 20 yard punt at a terrible time in the game that gave the Eagles great field position. But at least for the moment, it appears as if the Falcons will stick with him. They invested a draft pick in Bosher, so they may be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But this team can’t afford too many more 18-yard punts like the one Bosher had Sunday night. If things don’t straighten out quickly, he could be gone.

Since the Atlanta Falcons play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday it’s time to look at the guys who handle the punting and kickoff duties for both teams.

There’s irony here because the guy who now punts and kicks off for Tampa Bay used to do it for Atlanta. That’s Michael Koenen and he’s having exactly the kind of impact the Bucs imagined when they made him their marquee free-agent signing.

Through two weeks, Koenen is averaging 49.3 yards gross on punts and 45.2 yards net. As a kickoff specialist, five of his nine kicks have gone for touchbacks and opponents are averaging 8.5 yards on returns.

Then, there is Matt Bosher, the sixth-round draft pick who replaced Koenen in Atlanta. Things haven’t started smoothly for Bosher. His gross punting average is 36.8 yards and his net is 35.1 yards. Bosher had an 18-yard punt out of the end zone in Sunday night’s victory against Philadelphia. He’s had only two of his 10 kickoffs go for touchbacks and opponents are averaging 20.8 yards per return.

But those aren’t the only numbers that matter here. There were financial decisions made on both ends about the importance of field position. The Falcons apparently are sticking with Bosher because they did extensive scouting on him and believe he still has potential.

When they drafted him, they knew Bosher might not be as good as Koenen right off the bat. But that’s a sacrifice the Falcons willingly made. They didn’t want to pay Koenen, who once carried the franchise tag, big money.

That’s why the drafted Bosher. He signed a four-year deal that averages $534,000 per season. He’s making $375,000 (the rookie minimum) this year and also received a $95,800 signing bonus.

There’s more irony here because no one ever accuses the Falcons have being cheap and that’s a frequent knock on the Bucs. But Tampa Bay was willing to pay big money for Koenen.

He signed a six-year deal that averages $3.25 million per year and is making $3.5 million in base salary this year.

So far this season, when it comes to field position, the Bucs and Falcons each are getting what they paid for.

Click here to order Matt Bosher’s proCane Rookie Card.


(espn.com)

Coach Mike Smith on Matt Bosher:

Smith: “Young players are gonna have rookie moments. Bosher had seven punts and two were tough to overcome. Those moments happen.”
Smith: “Confident Bosher can mature and get the job done.”

To be honest Bosher really needs to have a good performance this coming week. His kickoffs despite being from the 35-yard line are barely getting into the endzone and he shanked one punt on Sunday night on his own 20. The Falcons could have a very short lease on Bosher.

Click here to order Matt Bosher’s proCane Rookie Card.

Falcons punter Matt Bosher vs. Bears returner Devin Hester: Bosher, a rookie from Miami, had a spotty exhibition season and will be called on to kick to the game’s most dangerous returner in his first game in the NFL. He has a live leg, but is not nearly as crafty with his kicks as his predecessor Michael Koenen.


(ajc.com)

Who is that Atlanta Falcon in mid air? Matt Bosher of course! Pittsburgh Steelers kickoff-returner Antonio Brown (84) tried to shake off Bosher (5) on his return in the first quarter of a preseason NFL football game on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011, in Pittsburgh. Bosher who is now the Falcons’ starting kickoff kicker and punter continued where he left off at the []_[] contributing with special teams tackles. His tackle was deemed to be a horse collar and the Falcons were penalized 15 yards, regardless what other NFL kicker do you see doing that?

FLOWERY BRANCH – Matt Bosher, the Falcons sixth-round draft pick, has won the punting, kickoff and holder jobs.

The Falcons waived his main competitor, Ken Parrish, on Wednesday.

They also waived fullback Thor Merrow long snapper Andrew Schulze and tight end A.J. Simmons.

Merrow, 6-0, 252 pounds, was signed by the Falcons as a college free-agent from North Alabama on July 26.

Merrow is the son of former Falcons defensive end Jeff Merrow who played with the team from 1975 to 1983 after being selected in the 11th round out of West Virginia.

Parrish, 6-2, 210 pounds, was signed by the Falcons as a free agent on March 3. He was originally signed by the San Francisco 49ers as a college free agent from East Stroudsburg in 2007.

 Schulze, 6-6, 255 pounds, was signed by the Falcons as a college free agent from Iowa on July 26.

 Simmons, 6-3, 255 pounds, was signed by the Falcons as a college free agent from Arizona on Aug. 3.

The Falcons roster now stands at 85.  They must reduce their roster to 80 players by August 30 as part of the NFL’s mandatory roster cut down. Atlanta will have to trim its roster to 53 players by September 3 and may establish an eight-player practice squad on September 5.


(ajc.com)

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Falcons only have two players from the University of Miami in linebacker Spencer Adkins and punter Matt Bosher.
Adkins was selected in the sixth round of the 2009 draft and Bosher, who’s attempting to replace Michael Koenen, was selected in the sixth round of the 2011 draft.

The university and NCAA are conducting investigations following a report by Yahoo! Sports that a former booster, in prison for his role in a Ponzi Scheme, lavished more than 70 players and coaches with cash, jewelry, travel, parties, prostitutes and an aborition.

“I haven’t gotten involved with it,” Adkins said last Friday after the Falcons game against Jacksonville. “I’m just here with Atlanta trying to get better.”

The scandal alleged lasted from 2002 to 2010. Adkins wasn’t sure if any of former teammates were involved.

“I really can’t speak on it because I really don’t know anything,” Adkins said. “I haven’t focused on that at all.”

Bosher, a sixth-round pick from the University of Miami, was instructed by the Falcons not to discuss the current scandal at the school.

“I love Miami, but I’m here to talk about the Falcons right now,” Bosher said after practice on Sunday. “If you have any more questions about that you can talk to [the communications staff.]”

When asked if he thought Miami should receive the NCAA’s death penalty, Bosher said, “I don’t have anything to say about that.”



(blogs.ajc.com)

After ranking near the bottom of the league in net yards per punt last season (35.6, 26th in the NFL), the Atlanta Falcons are looking for a replacement for Michael Koenen.

The answer may have come in form of Matt Bosher, the team's fifth-round pick in April's draft. The former Miami Hurricane, who earned All-ACC honors as both a kicker and a punter in his college career, is in a battle to take over as Falcons punter, kickoff specialist and even the holder for placekicker Matt Bryant.

He spoke with The Times sports editor Brent Holloway after practice Monday about his training camp and preseason experiences so far.
Question: You got your first NFL action under the lights last week. What were you feeling out there?

Answer: Really excited. It was great to be out there, great to be out there playing football again. It's different, playing in the NFL, a little bit, but football's football, so I just go out there and kick the ball.

Q: What was different?
A: Just the feel, you know the comfort level after being in college for so long. It's just a new team, a new feel, obviously a little bit faster pace. But I feel like I'm catching up on the learning curve and doing well.

Q: They've got you pulling a full load with kickoffs, punts and holding on PATs and field goals. You were also a kicker in college, so obviously you weren't doing any holding. Did you have any experience with it before coming in?
A: Outside of in practice, holding for other kickers, not so much. But I've been working a lot with Matt Bryant and Joe Zelenka. Joe, he's a great long snapper, so he makes it easy for me. And Matt, he's a great teacher and he's really helping me out and (special teams coordinator) coach (Keith) Armstrong is really helping me out and get used to everything and work on my hands.

Q: It's kind of a unique spot. Nobody every notices you as the holder unless you mess up.
A: Yeah, the holder can never be the hero, you can only be the zero. So you just have to work hard to make sure people don't notice you.

Q: You're in a bit of a battle for the punter spot here in camp. What are your goals for this season?
A: I want to make the team, but as of right now I'm just focusing on getting better and making sure that when the next preseason game comes along, I can improve as far as where I was last week.

Q: What are you looking for as far as your numbers go? You had a 48 (yard average) gross last week and 40 net. Where does that rank with what you're shooting for?
A: I think our goal as a team, as a punt unit is to get a net that's always around 40. Our goal is to get good hangtime, and (fellow punter) Ken (Parrish) and I are both going out there and trying to get that good hangtime and force fair catches.

Q: How about on your kickoffs - are you looking for more hangtime or longer distance?
A: A good combination of both. You don't want to drive the ball down there and have the guy run it out. You don't want to just put it up and short. So you have find the best of both worlds.

Q: Are you pleased with how you did Friday night (in the preseason opener)?
A: Yeah, it was a good start. I just need to keep working to better.



(gainesvilletimes.com)

Rookie kicker Matt Bosher, who’s attempting to replace Michael Koenen, did not have a good start. His three kickoffs from the 35-yard line in the first half went to the 6-, 3- and 1-yard lines. Also, his first punt went just 37 yards. After Bosher settled down, he boomed a 63-yarder in the second quarter.

Bosher, who was also the holder, appeared to handle that duty flawlessly.

“I’m sure he was nervous,” Smith said. “ Heck, I was, you know. . . but I thought he handled it well.”



(ajc.com)

Matt Bosher and Ken Parrish. Bosher was selected in the sixth round of the draft (192nd overall) by the Atlanta Falcons and is set to handle the punting, kickoff and holding duties. Parrish averaged 40.7 yards per punt in the UFL in 2010. Bosher has shown off a big leg in camp. The club wants to see how he operates under pressure.




(ajc.com)

Matt Bosher, who was selected in the sixth round of the draft (192nd overall), will be a busy against Miami.

He’s set to handle the punting, kickoff and holding duties.

“I can assure you, he’s going to be a little bit nervous this Friday night for his first real test,” Smith said. “He’s done a nice job up until this point.”
Bosher is in a battle with Ken Parrish to replace Michael Koenen, who signed with Tampa Bay during free agency. Parrish was in camp with San Francisco in 2007 and was signed as a free agent on March 3. He last punted in the UFL in 2010.

“Everybody knows when the punter or the holder or the kickoff guy doesn’t do his job,” Smith said. “I’m anxious to see how he handles the pressure.”


(ajc.com)

The battle for the Atlanta Falcons punting duties will come down to Ps Matt Bosher and Ken Parrish. "It will be a really good competition," special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong said. "We'll try to rotate them and control their reps. In the exhibition games, they will have to be warmed up in both halves."


(kffl.com)

FLOWERY BRANCH – Punter Matt Bosher, formerly of Miami,  was a sixth round pick (192nd overall) in the 2011 draft.

Here’s a quick Q&A with Bosher, who’s the favorite in a three-punter race to replace Michael Koenen:

Q: What’s your favorite food?
A: I would have to go with hog snapper. It’s like a  re-fish. You can get them down in the Bahamas, the Keys or South Florida. I dive a lot.

Q: What’s your favorite movie?
A: I like comedies. A lot of Adam Sandler movies. Some of the older ones like Billy Madison or Happy Gilmore. Something goofy.

Q: What’s your favorite book?
A: By Dan Brown, Angels and Demons. I read it a couple of years ago before the movie came out.

Q: What’s on your iPod?
A: I have a mix of everything. Every genre you can think of . Classical. Jazz. Hip Hop. New Hip Hop. New Rock. Anything.


(ajc.com)

On punter Matt Bosher Coach Mike Smith said: “I thought that our rookie punter, for the pressure that he’s under right now, in terms of performing, I thought that he’s done very well over the first three days.”




(ajc.com)

The Atlanta Falcons just announced they have signed three of their draft picks to contracts and added an undrafted free agent.

Matt Bosher, a punter/kicker selected in the sixth-round, Andrew Jackson, an offensive lineman taken in the seventh round and defensive end Cliff Matthews, another seventh-round choice, have agreed to four-year contracts.

Bosher could potentially be the team's starting punter and kickoff specialist as a rookie. He was given a four-year contract.

Place-kicker Matt Bryant remains an unrestricted free agent. Although Bosher and Harfman each have done some place-kicking in the past, neither has a consistent track record like the veteran Bryant.


(espn.com)

(youtube.com)

Matt Bosher likely means the end of incumbent/pending free agent Michael Koenen's days as a Falcon. Along with his punting exploits, Bosher can handle kickoffs.




(espn.com)

There are a lot of special teams coaches who felt Matt Bosher was the best punter in the draft. He is a combo kicker who can punt, kick off and kick field goals.





(nationalfootballpost.com)

Name: Matt Bosher    (6th round, 192nd)
Size: 6-0, 207
College: Miami

His production: He handled kickoffs and punts for the Hurricanes. He converted 84.7 percent of his field goal attempts.  He had six career punts blocked. He played in 50 games for the Hurricanes. As a punter, he put 70-of-234 attempts inside the 20-yard line. He finished with a41.7-yard average per punt. He averaged at least 40 yards a punt in each of his four seasons. He had 49 punts of 50 yards or more and forced the opposition to make 82 fair catches.

The skinny: “Right-footed jack-of-all trades, master of none type who warrants a camp invite,” according to Nolan Nawrocki of Pro Football Weekly. He was the sixth punter drafted by the Falcons, but the first since Harold Alexander who was selected in the third round of the 1993 draft from Appalachian State.

INTERVIEW WITH MATT BOSHER  TODAY ON HIS CONTACT WITH THE FALCONS: “I had been in touch with them before the draft. I worked out for Coach (Keith) Armstrong. It’s always a crapshoot being a punter and a kicker with the draft. I was so excited to finally get that phone call and hear from all of the coaches.”

ON HIS CAREER AT MIAMI: “I’m happy with everything that went down at Miami. I just can’t wait to have an opportunity to play at the next level with the Falcons.”

ON HIS RECRUITMENT: “When I was coming out of high school, it was mainly just Miami and the University of Florida.”

ON BEING THE SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: “I was happy to get that award from my team because we have a lot of great athletes at Miami. I was really proud of that award.”

ON WHAT THE FALCON SAID ABOUT THEIR PUNTER JOB: “They didn’t really say much. They said they are happy to have me. I looking forward to getting up there and I’m happy to have this opportunity to show what type of player I can be.”

ON HIS 19 CAREER SPECIAL-TEAMS TACKLES: “It’s football. It’s not just me as a punter. If you’re going to play football, you have to be able to hit somebody if the play calls for it. You’re not just out there playing patty cakes.”

ON HIS 26-YARD RUN IN 2009: “I can run a little bit. Not all the time, but if need be. If they call a fake or something, I’m confident that I might be able to run the ball a little bit.”



(blogs.ajc.com)

Matt Bosher is rated the third-best player at his position heading into this week's NFL Draft.

That would assure Bosher of a pretty big payday if he played quarterback, defensive line or just about any other position.

But Bosher, a four-year letterman at the University of Miami by way of Jupiter High, is a punter. In the 2010 draft, only three punters were selected and none was chosen higher than the fifth round. In the past five drafts, a total of 23 punters and place-kickers were picked.

"I don't know," Bosher said when asked if he expected to be selected. "Kickers and punters are a weird position when it comes to the draft. You can only be hopeful that you've done enough in your career and in the couple of months leading up to the draft to get drafted.

"If not, you keep working hard and hope you get picked up."

Bosher did plenty during his UM career. He served as the Hurricanes' punter in each of his four seasons, place-kicked for three seasons and was the team's kickoff specialist the last two years.

Bosher connected on 84.9 percent (45 of 53) of his field-goal attempts at Miami and ranks among the all-time leaders in several kicking categories, but he said that most NFL teams are looking at him as a punter. He averaged 41.7 yards at UM and was a second-team All-ACC selection as a punter in each of the past two seasons.

Bosher was one of three punters invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in February.

"If I'm not drafted, it's not over," said Bosher, who is represented by Boca Raton-based agent Glenn Schwartzman. "I just want to play with a team. I don't care how I get there."

Bosher is one of three UM players with Palm Beach County roots who might be drafted this week.

Offensive lineman Orlando Franklin, from Atlantic High, is expected to go in the first couple of rounds. Running back Damien Berry, the Hurricanes' leading rusher last season from Belle Glade, is seen as a low-round pick or free agent.



(palmbeachpost.com)

Jupiter's Matt Bosher, now a University of Miami graduate kicker and punter, was invited to the NFL combine in Indianapolis' Lucas Oil stadium and got to kick and punt for pro scouts. He'll get another chance to do it again when Miami holds its own at Pro Day on March 10.

Bosher is projected as a seventh-round draft pick — if there is one — by CBS.sports.com or the 274th overall pick.

CBS sports lists him as the fourth overall punter although he also kicked at the combine.

Bosher was one of nine 'Canes invited to last weekend's combine. The college players participated in skills contests which included: 40, 20 and 10 yard runs; 225-pound bench press (how many times), vertical and broad jumps, 20-yard shuttle run and three coach drills.

Bosher's 40-yard time is officially 4.78.



(tcpalm.com)

Riser:
Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami Hurricanes: Demonstrating good speed was something he had to do on Sunday. He did just that, running a 4.43 40, which turned out to tie for the 10th best time in Indy and the fourth best among receivers. He shows good hands on the field after questions arose earlier in his career, but some weren't sure of his speed because he wasn't that deep burner at Miami. Questions, answered.

Matt Bosher, P, Miami (Fla.): Bosher showed a strong leg and the ability to turn the ball over and drive it with no trouble. One issue was that he showed only adequate quickness catching the ball and getting off the punt.

Miami guard Orlando Franklin quietly had a solid day, turning in an adequate 5.20 (official) in the 40 and showing good short-area quickness with a 1.72 (official) 10-yard split. At 6-5 and 316 pounds, he showed just average quickness during drills but did display good short-area lateral agility. He also looked balanced throughout and did a nice job staying low out of his stance during pulling drills. Franklin was clearly playing out of position at left tackle during the college season, but he has the strength and short-area capabilities to be a reliable starter on the inside at the next level.

Damien Berry posted top marks in the broad jump - 10”0’ - and the bench press,  where he repped 225 pounds 23 times.  

Faller:
Graig Cooper, RB, Miami Hurricanes: Cooper's career took a serious turn when he tore an ACL on an awful, muddy field at the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando. He never really got all the way back since the injury and shared time in a busy backfield rotation, but a nice showing at the Combine could have helped his stock. He ran a 4.63 40 on Sunday, which could hurt his stock as a change of pace back who can contribute as a homerun threat or a returner.

Cooper though did lead all running backs at the NFL Combine with a time of 6.66 seconds in the 3-cone drill. Cooper also ranked second among all running backs in the 20-yard shuttle with a time of 4.03.



(xtrapointfootball.com)

INDIANAPOLIS — After punting, placekicking and handling kickoffs for the University of Miami the past three seasons, Jupiter's Matt Bosher won't mind becoming a specialist.

"I'm looking forward to honing it down to one, but I've been training to do all three here," Bosher said at the NFL Scouting Combine. "I feel like that gives me the best chance to make a team. I don't want to cut my chances by getting rid of one."

Bosher demonstrated his skills at Lucas Oil Stadium in front of NFL personnel from every team. Before the demonstration, he said he wasn't nervous, even though he had never kicked in a dome.

"It's just another day. You practice for this day for years and years. I've gone through high school, through five years at Miami, all the off-season work I've done, and it comes to this. So it's just a matter of practicing and keeping your head down and working through everything."

Bosher (6 feet, 205 pounds) converted 45 of 53 field-goal attempts for the Hurricanes, an 85 percent success rate. Last season he was at his best in big games, hitting a 51-yarder against Ohio State and a 47-yarder in the Sun Bowl loss to Notre Dame.



(palmbeachpost.com)