BAMANEWSBOT
Staff
"Sometimes good enough is good enough and you don't have to keep trying to get better."
Freshman seasons don't go much better than JK Scott's. The Sporting News named him All-American and the newcomer was one of three finalists for the Ray Guy Award.
Practice 1 didn't fit that storyline, though.
As the 6-foot-5 punter begins his sophomore season after averaging 48.0 yarders in 2014, he remembered his first practice in Tuscaloosa. A highly-recruited specialist from suburban Denver, Scott was penciled in before even arriving on campus. Quarterback Alec Morrispunted in the A-Day Game after Cody Mandell's graduation and Scott's arrival.
His first day in an Alabama jersey wasn't what he wanted. Place kicker Adam Griffith punted better, Scott said.
"I wasn't in the rhythm yet, not my normal rhythm," Scott said. "I was overthinking things."
And that's where coach Nick Saban went to work on the mental side. He's talked about his discussions with Scott and the head game that comes with such a specialized position.
JK Scott didnt have great first practice at Alabama, but it got better.
"Sometimes good enough is good enough and you don't have to keep trying to get better," Saban said in December.
The trick was relating the punting motion to his golf swing. Nice and easy. Don't try to kill it.
"It's a spot on analogy," Scott said. "It's perfect. Like, that's exactly what it is. The mentality of a punter is kind of the same exact as a golfer. You don't have many chances. It's just one shot, and you've just got to do everything you can for that one shot."
Scott also lit up when asked about the other factor in the punt operation, long snapperCole Mazza.
"He's the best in the country, hands down," Scott said. "Cole helped me so much this season. And every time I get a perfect snap, that sets me up for a good punt. If I get a perfect snap, if I don't have to move out of the way or do anything, if it's quick enough and I don't have to speed up, I have the perfect opportunity to be successful.
"Cole has like saved my life out there every day. We have a great relationship. We have meetings together, we go out to practice together. We're always together, all the specialists, so we have a good relationship. We joke around. It's pretty fun."
Continue reading...
Freshman seasons don't go much better than JK Scott's. The Sporting News named him All-American and the newcomer was one of three finalists for the Ray Guy Award.
Practice 1 didn't fit that storyline, though.
As the 6-foot-5 punter begins his sophomore season after averaging 48.0 yarders in 2014, he remembered his first practice in Tuscaloosa. A highly-recruited specialist from suburban Denver, Scott was penciled in before even arriving on campus. Quarterback Alec Morrispunted in the A-Day Game after Cody Mandell's graduation and Scott's arrival.
His first day in an Alabama jersey wasn't what he wanted. Place kicker Adam Griffith punted better, Scott said.
"I wasn't in the rhythm yet, not my normal rhythm," Scott said. "I was overthinking things."
And that's where coach Nick Saban went to work on the mental side. He's talked about his discussions with Scott and the head game that comes with such a specialized position.
JK Scott didnt have great first practice at Alabama, but it got better.
"Sometimes good enough is good enough and you don't have to keep trying to get better," Saban said in December.
The trick was relating the punting motion to his golf swing. Nice and easy. Don't try to kill it.
"It's a spot on analogy," Scott said. "It's perfect. Like, that's exactly what it is. The mentality of a punter is kind of the same exact as a golfer. You don't have many chances. It's just one shot, and you've just got to do everything you can for that one shot."
Scott also lit up when asked about the other factor in the punt operation, long snapperCole Mazza.
"He's the best in the country, hands down," Scott said. "Cole helped me so much this season. And every time I get a perfect snap, that sets me up for a good punt. If I get a perfect snap, if I don't have to move out of the way or do anything, if it's quick enough and I don't have to speed up, I have the perfect opportunity to be successful.
"Cole has like saved my life out there every day. We have a great relationship. We have meetings together, we go out to practice together. We're always together, all the specialists, so we have a good relationship. We joke around. It's pretty fun."
Continue reading...
