Sam Koch facts for kids
Koch with the Baltimore Ravens in 2015
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| Baltimore Ravens | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Special teams consultant | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | August 13, 1982 York, Nebraska, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 222 lb (101 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Seward (Seward, Nebraska) | ||||||||||
| College: | Nebraska (2002–2005) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2006 / Round: 6 / Pick: 203 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| As coach: | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Samuel David Koch (born August 13, 1982) is an American former professional football player. He played for 16 years as a punter for the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League (NFL). Sam played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Ravens chose him in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL draft. He is famous for creating many different ways to punt the ball. This changed how the punter position was played in football.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Sam Koch grew up in Seward, Nebraska. He went to Seward High School. There, he played many positions on the football team. These included punter, kicker, and even offensive and defensive roles. Besides football, Sam also played basketball, baseball, and soccer in high school.
College Football Career
Sam started his college football journey at the University of Nebraska. He joined the team without a scholarship at first, as a "walk-on." He was a backup punter in 2002 and 2003. Before the 2004 season, he earned a scholarship for his skills.
From 2004 to 2005, Sam was Nebraska's main punter. He was also good at academics. He was named to the Academic All-Big 12 team in 2005. His average punt distance in college was 44.1 yards. He landed 56 kicks inside the 20-yard line. His longest punt was an amazing 84 yards!
In his senior year (2005), Sam had his best season. He broke the school record for the highest punting average. He averaged 46.5 yards per punt that year. This was the second-best average in the whole country. He was also a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award. This award goes to the best college punter. In his last college game, the 2005 Alamo Bowl, he averaged 51.5 yards on 8 punts. He graduated with a degree in business administration in December 2005.
College Statistics
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Punts | Yds | Avg |
| 2004 | Nebraska | Big 12 | JR | P | 11 | 63 | 2,600 | 41.3 |
| 2005 | Nebraska | Big 12 | SR | P | 12 | 71 | 3,302 | 46.5 |
| Career | Nebraska | 134 | 5,902 | 44.0 |
Professional NFL Career
The Baltimore Ravens picked Sam Koch in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL draft. He played in all 16 games during his first year. He punted 86 times for 3,695 yards. He also placed 30 of his punts inside the 20-yard line, which was one of the best in the NFL.
Sam was known for his unique punting styles. He could make the ball spin in different ways. This made it very hard for the other team to catch and return his punts. He even completed a few passes on fake punt plays during his career!
Super Bowl Champion
In 2012, Sam helped the Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII. This was a huge moment in his career. In that Super Bowl, he made two very smart plays at the end of the game. First, he ran into his own end zone to take an intentional safety. This used up valuable time on the clock. Then, he kicked a 60-yard free-kick. This kick made it impossible for the other team to try a game-winning field goal. The Ravens won the Super Bowl!
Key Moments and Records
In 2015, Sam signed a big contract with the Ravens. This made him one of the highest-paid punters in the NFL. He continued to be a key player for the team.
In 2016, he used the same smart play from the Super Bowl. He took an intentional safety to run out the clock and secure a win against the Cincinnati Bengals.
In 2017, Sam showed his passing skills again. He completed a 22-yard pass on a fake punt. This play earned him the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award. He won the award again later that season.
In 2021, Sam was the holder for Justin Tucker. Tucker kicked the longest field goal in NFL history, a 66-yard kick! This amazing kick won the game for the Ravens.
Sam Koch played his entire 16-year career with the Baltimore Ravens. He retired from playing football on May 19, 2022.
Coaching Career
After he stopped playing, Sam Koch stayed with the Baltimore Ravens. He joined their coaching staff as a special teams consultant. In this role, he helps teach and guide the team's special teams players.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | Punting | Off. | Def. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punts | Yds | Avg | Lng | Blk | Yds | Cmb | |||
| 2006 | BAL | 16 | 86 | 3,695 | 43.0 | 61 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2007 | BAL | 16 | 78 | 3,397 | 43.6 | 64 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2008 | BAL | 16 | 84 | 3,777 | 45.0 | 74 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| 2009 | BAL | 16 | 73 | 3,188 | 43.7 | 60 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | BAL | 16 | 81 | 3,530 | 43.6 | 60 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| 2011 | BAL | 16 | 73 | 3,393 | 46.5 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 | BAL | 16 | 83 | 3,911 | 47.1 | 60 | 0 | 17 | 2 |
| 2013 | BAL | 16 | 90 | 4,138 | 46.0 | 69 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2014 | BAL | 16 | 60 | 2,841 | 47.4 | 73 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | BAL | 16 | 74 | 3,454 | 46.7 | 67 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| 2016 | BAL | 16 | 80 | 3,665 | 45.8 | 68 | 0 | −23 | 1 |
| 2017 | BAL | 16 | 84 | 3,765 | 44.8 | 67 | 1 | 38 | 0 |
| 2018 | BAL | 16 | 60 | 2,842 | 47.4 | 65 | 1 | 21 | 1 |
| 2019 | BAL | 16 | 40 | 1,855 | 46.4 | 62 | 1 | −2 | 2 |
| 2020 | BAL | 15 | 51 | 2,268 | 44.5 | 59 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| 2021 | BAL | 17 | 71 | 3,149 | 44.4 | 61 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Career | 256 | 1,168 | 52,868 | 45.3 | 74 | 7 | 92 | 17 | |
Ravens Team Records
Sam Koch holds several records for the Baltimore Ravens:
- Most career punt yards: 52,868 yards
- Longest career punt: 74 yards
- Highest career yards per punt average: 45.3 yards
- Most games played: 256 games
Images for kids
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Koch with the Baltimore Ravens in 2015
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Koch at training camp in 2009
See also
In Spanish: Sam Koch para niños
