Jeff Feagles retired this week after a NFL career that spanned four decades. At 44, Feagles decided that he just couldn’t physically handle the demands of the NFL. He alerted the Giants before the NFL Draft and they drafted a punter to replace him. Matt Dodge, who was born a year before Feagles started punting in the NFL.
Over his 22-year career, Feagles punted over 1,700 times and amassed almost 40 miles of distance. But that’s not what he will be remembered for. Feagles will be remembered for a skill that is a lost art in the NFL today; the directional kick.
It’s amazing that in an era where punt returners have become more and more dangerous that more punters have lost the ability to place the ball safely out of bounds, but that is what made Feagles so special. He could make the ball unreturnable from anywhere on the field. It wasn’t always a very long punt, but the coaches knew it would not be returned for a touchdown.
It would be fitting if one day Feagles earn enshrinement in Canton, but it is unlikely. To date not a single punter has ever been elected to the Hall of Fame. It’s an amazing oversight, but perhaps also a reflection of the macho NFL where punting is considered a failure. Jeff Feagles managed to turn that “failure” into a 22-year career.
