Zen and the perfect punt

IOWA CITY - During the long offseason of 2015, you heard Iowa coaches mention the Hawkeyes' punt game a lot. Like a lot a lot. Assistant coach Chris White lapsed into a soft laugh and a 'Trust me” when the subject came up. Head coach Kirk Ferentz spoke directly, like a CEO addressing shareholders after a rough fiscal ride.

Collectively, it was a little like 'Moby Dick” and Captain Ahab's obsessive, vengeful pursuit of the white whale. Or maybe 'Fitzcarraldo,” the story of a wild man's vision to build a great opera house in the Amazon.

Fair or not, the two punts that Nebraska's De'Mornay Pierson-El returned in the fourth quarter of the season finale at Kinnick Stadium last season stood as a symbol of futility. Both punts came off the foot of senior Dillon Kidd.

You didn't hear a lot from him. Still, you just know it was something he carried, and so instead of letting it corrode his psyche, he dug in.

So far, it's all systems go.

Kidd leads the Big Ten with an average of 49.8 yards on 10 punts, only two of which have been returned. He has five punts of 50-plus yards, has downed two inside the opponent's 20-yard line and has forced four fair catches.

Kidd had several touchpoints during his offseason, one of which was in California and with punters whose names you might recognize.

'I really just worked some technique stuff with a couple of guys,” Kidd said. 'I went out to California and worked with John Carney and Steve Weatherford.”

Carney is a former Pro Bowl NFL kicker who runs a kick/punt academy in Carlsbad, Calif. Weatherford is the punter for the New York Giants. Kidd also worked with his father, John, an NFL punter for 15 seasons.

Former Iowa punter Jason Baker, a 12-year NFL veteran, also coached Kidd during Iowa's August camp.

'There have been contributions from a bunch of different angles and it's helped,” Kidd said this week.

Yes, maybe that could be information overload. Ferentz was aware and obviously bought into from where Kidd received the extra instruction. Plus, Ferentz admits he knows little about the technical aspects of punting, so quality outside help is fine.

'The other danger is you can get too many chefs in the kitchen, I think at any position. I really believe that,” Ferentz said. 'That's a matter of getting down to the player. I think it's really smart in anything you do to go out and seek advice, talk to people, wide variety of people. His dad was a very successful college punter and very successful NFL punter so, it would be silly not to ask him.

'But you know how kids and parents are, they don't always relate the best, so it's good to go to outside sources as well. You know, you draw upon those things. But the key in anything is what can you take and make work for you without cluttering your mind.

'. . . I know nothing about being a specialist, I can assure you, but I do know this: It's a different position, a different mentality, different mindset. So, I think the key is finding out what works for you and trying to simplify things. Anything in life, the more you can simplify it so you have clarity, that's a good thing.”

The longest offseason was about finding edges, on a program-wide basis. Strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle, who Kidd credited with a boost to his leg strength, made this season's mantra 'Build an Edge.” Running back Jordan Canzeri has talked about the book 'The Slight Edge” a lot of Iowa players read during the offseason.

This was the thought behind Kidd's quest and why so many touchpoints.

'The thing with kicking is you never want to work with just one person,” he said. 'It's kind of like a golf swing coach. You work with one guy until you feel like you've gotten as much as you can out of this experience or mentor.

'It's really just trying to find those little edges. Small increments in kicking can change a great kick into a not-so-great kick. Having those guys who can help you with the slight edge stuff that we've been working on in the offseason has really been helpful.”

Kidd is in no way wagging his finger and saying the past is the past. He knows this is an ongoing process. He has had four touchbacks, a few of which have been hostages of bad bounces. He had a punt blocked against Pitt last weekend (a miscommunication in the protection and something that has been addressed, he said).

This is a very kind of Zen, self-help sort of area. So, simplifying it for clarity, Kidd has an easy definition for his favorite punts.

'I just like the balls that don't get returned,” he said. 'Any punt that goes more than 40 yards and that doesn't come back the other way, I'm happy with.”

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com