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STEMKE AGREES TO TERMS: SHOULD REALIZE DREAM - TO PUNT ON 'LAMBEAU'
posted 04/23/01
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Kevin
Stemke |
Green Bay native Kevin Stemke, who has said his personal dream long has been '"to some day punt on Lambeau Field," should have that opportunity during the summer ahead.
The 22-year-old University of Wisconsin punter, a former Green Bay Preble High School athlete, officially agreed to contract terms today, Andrew Brandt, the team's director of player finance, announced.
Thus due to compete with veteran Josh Bidwell for the punting assignment, Stemke should get his chance to kick on "Lambeau" soon - with training camp scheduled to open in late July.
Stemke, who grew up as a devout Packers fan, brings imposing credentials to his bid to become the Packers resident punter. The 6-2, 188-pound Badger closed out a distinguished collegiate career as the winner of the inaugural Ray Guy Award, given to the NCAA's top punter, after posting a career-best 44.5-yard average for 69 punts last season and enabling the Badgers to lead the nation in net punting with a 42.9-yard average.
A left-footed, conventional punter, who can also handle placement, field goal and kickoff duties, Stemke was an All-America first-team selection by CNN/Sports Illustrated, also earning second-team honors from Football News.
The first punter in University of Wisconsin history to earn All-Big Ten Conference recognition four times in a career, he took over the Badgers' starting job as a freshman and closed out his career ranking fourth in Big Ten annals with a school-record 43.5-yard average. He also owns the school career yardage record with 10,660, surpassing the old mark of 10,235 by Scott Cepinsky (1984-87).
A former high school quarterback with an arm for the option pass and the quick feet to be a threat as a runner, Stemke also has solid hands to field the high snap and is effective at executing the fake punt. He also has proven that he can kick in inclement weather conditions.
Stemke, an agricultural business major, is the son of Green Bay's Horst Stemke, a former collegiate soccer star who is a member of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Hall of Fame.
Kevin, who wore '14' as a collegian, has been assigned jersey number 11 as a Packer. The number 14, once the property of charter Pro Football Hall of Famer Don Hutson, was the first number to be retired by the team (1951).
Stemke is the first Green Bay native to agree to a Packers contract since 1988 when the Packers made quarterback Herbert "Bud" Keyes of the University of Wisconsin, a former Green Bay West athlete, their tenth-round selection in the draft.
In another transaction today, the Packers waived wide receiver Steve Vagedes of Ohio Northern.
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