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Sam Koch (pronounced Cook) (born August 13, 1982) is an American football punter who currently plays for the National Football League's Baltimore Ravens. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft, pick 203. He played college football for the University of Nebraska. In January 2007, Koch was named to Rick Gosselin's All-Rookie team as featured in the Dallas Morning News.
[edit] High School Years
Koch attended Seward High School in Seward, Nebraska and played punter, tight end, offensive lineman, and defensive lineman. Also because of an injury to another player, he started a few games as fullback. Along with football Sam played basketball, baseball, and soccer.
[edit] College Years
He walked on to the Nebraska football team, where he played punter, and later would receive a scholarship before the start of the 2004 season. He was Nebraska’s punter from 2004-05 after holding KO duties for 7 games in 2003. He was named to the 2005 2nd-team Academic All-Big 12 squad and the 2005 Big 12 Commissioner’s Spring and Fall Academic Honor Roll. He racked up a career-punting average of 44.1 yards (with 56 kicks inside the 20 and a long of 84 yards). As a senior, Koch put together the best campaign ever at his position in school history, as he broke the single-season punting average mark with a 46.5-yard average in 2005. The 2005 average bested the previous record of 45.1 yards per punt by current Bengals P Kyle Larson in 2003. Koch’s average ranked 2nd nationally and helped Nebraska to a No. 2 national ranking in net punting (39.9 avg.) As a senior, Koch was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award and earned a 1st-team All-American nod by www.NationalChamps.net. In his collegiate finale in the 2005 Alamo Bowl (12/28), Koch posted a 51.5-yard average on 8 punts against Michigan, including 5 50-plus yarders. He connected on at least 1 punt of 50 yards or more in 8 of 11 contests and surpassed the 48-yard barrier in every single game. Koch backed up Kyle Larson at punter as a sophomore in 2003, but did not attempt a punt. He was the Huskers’ KO specialist for the 2nd half of the season. Booted 18 of his 32 KOs for TBs, and in his final 6 games, opponents had just 10 returns totaling 165 yards, he did not see game action as a redshirt freshman in 2002, but served as the backup punter. In December 2005 he earned a degree in business administration.
[edit] Professional career
[edit] Baltimore Ravens
Koch was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the 6th round (203rd overall) in the 2006 NFL Draft. In his rookie season he played in all 16 regular season games, punting 86 times for 3,695 yards and placing 30 of those inside the 20 which was the 4th most in the NFL. He made his NFL debut at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 10.
[edit] Family
He married his wife Nikki during May 2005. They have three kids, Ryan, Braxtyn, and Camdyn. They currently live together in Westminster, Maryland.
[edit] External links
