Just for kicks Chinese kickers Ding Long, Shen Yalei and Gao Wei are among 27 special teams players working out in Tampa, Florida this week for the right to earn a preseason roster spot on an NFL Europa League team. The four-day kicking camp being held at Tampas Ed Radice Sports Complex concludes on Wednesday, March 14. The standout players will then be assigned to one of the six NFL Europa teams. The trio of Chinese kickers has been tracked down and nurtured by NFL Europa scouts in a bid to develop the sport of football in China, where the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will play an exhibition game on August 9. Also taking part in the kicking camp is Nick Novak, who kicked in 16 regular season games for the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Redskins in 2005-06, converting 13 of 20 field goals, with a long of 47 yards, and all 25 PAT attempts for a total of 64 points. British kicker Rhys Lloyd, who hails from Dover, England and starred at the collegiate level with Minnesota, is also battling for a roster spot in Florida. The leagues leading punter from 2006 Amsterdams Glenn Pakulak returns for a second year after being allocated by the Tennessee Titans. List of special teams players participating in NFL Europa kicking camp: Name -- Pos -- College -- NFL Team Anderson, Adam -- P -- Western Michigan -- Atlanta Falcons Andrus, Shane -- K -- Murray State -- Indianapolis Colts Basler, Kyle -- P -- Washington State -- Cleveland Browns Baugher, Danny -- P -- Arizona -- New England Patriots Brazen, Josh -- P -- Kent State -- Buffalo Bills Brubaker, Mark -- K -- E. Stroudsburg State -- Free Agent Fitzpatrick, D.J. -- K -- Notre Dame -- Free Agent Guardia, Matt -- LS -- San Diego -- Free Agent Hickok, Mark -- K -- Connecticut -- Free Agent Hughes, Connor -- K -- Virginia -- Pittsburgh Steelers Jacas, Andrew -- K -- Fort Valley State -- Free Agent Johnson, Jaret -- K -- Idaho State -- Free Agent Jordan, Brian -- LS -- Georgia -- Free Agent Lloyd, Rhys -- K -- Minnesota -- Free Agent Long, Ding -- K -- None -- Free Agent/China Malone, Tom -- P -- Southern California -- New England Patriots Muro, Cameron -- P -- Hampton -- Houston Texans Novak, Nick -- K -- Maryland -- Chicago Bears Olmsted, Thomas -- P -- Troy -- Free Agent Pakulak, Glenn -- P -- Kentucky -- Tennessee Titans Rice, Jacob -- LS -- Oklahoma -- Free Agent Smith, Kurt -- K -- Virginia -- New Orleans Saints Stelly, Joel -- P -- Louisiana-Monroe -- Chicago Bears Tack, Chuck -- P -- Nebraska -- Free Agent Wei, Gao -- K -- None -- Free Agent/China Williams, Jeff -- P -- Adams State -- Free Agent Yalei, Shen -- K -- None -- Free Agent/China http://www.nfleurope.com/news/story/10056998
I dunno what to expect from thoses Chinese kickers. I've never heared of them before. I'm just pissed, that Mike Barr didn't return to Frankfurt
