Punter Plackemeier won't get rookie pass in the NFL

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Imagine being 22 years old and this is your first job out of college. Your boss is one of the icons of the business, a future Hall of Famer, and he is predisposed to be a little grumpy about people in your position.

You've had other jobs, but nothing like this one.

You were a sportswriter covering high-school games for a weekly newspaper in north San Diego County. You were a drugstore clerk. And in college, you mowed your uncle's lawn for pocket change.

But you went to Wake Forest with the idea of becoming a professional punter. You've worked most of your young life for this opportunity. Your employer, the Seattle Seahawks, specifically chose you in the seventh round of the draft to do this for them. And your employer is extremely demanding.

"They say punters are a dime a dozen," Seahawks rookie punter Ryan Plackemeier says. "There's so much talent coming out of college, you usually get that one shot, that rookie shot, to beat out the other guy."

Then, after you win the job, every day you're on the job, you have to re-prove yourself. In many ways, you're only as good as your last punt. And every day, it can feel as if one mistake could cost you your dreams and rob you of your livelihood.

This is the ultimate what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business.

"If you were a sportswriter and had that kind of pressure, you'd probably never get anything on paper. You'd never be able to write," says fourth-year kicker Josh Brown, who has helped Plackemeier navigate through this rookie year. "But the main thing for Ryan is to never, ever think of his job that way.

"The plan should be to come in owning, claiming and protecting your job. You can't say, 'I'm going to do my best not to get fired.' You have to think, 'I'm going to make it so they can't get rid of me.' "

This season, when the rookie fails to boom a punt 45-plus yards, he often comes off the field to face the wrath of his esteemed coach, Mike Holmgren, and his steamed special-teams coach, Bob Casullo.

"What they say is too obscene to repeat," special-teamer Jimmy Williams jokes.

Red-faced and angry, they take their frustrations out on the rookie. They let him know they aren't happy. Heck, they let the entire stadium know it.

"I'm reacting more on how I feel," Holmgren says. "I could care less about him, to be honest, depending on my mood. That's really what it boils down to. Brilliant coaching, huh? Sometimes I do the wrong thing.

"He's a rookie punter, and that just right there makes you nervous. But he's such a wonderful, nice young man. At times I think he might be shocked at what I say to him. There's a thin line there. There's a balancing act with your kickers, particularly young guys."

Plackemeier has roughly five to seven opportunities a week to prove himself and keep his job.

So few chances. So much at stake. Imagine the pressure.

"Mike's not the kind of person who's going to belittle someone, so there's a lot of respect involved here," Brown says. "What I'm trying to do for Ryan, somehow, some way, when he comes off the field thinking he was unsuccessful in his own mind, is to teach him to let things go.

"Messing up is a part of this game. And if you don't allow yourself to be human, you're going to have a very, very depressing time."

Plackemeier had the best night of his professional life last Sunday in Denver. He soft-landed punts on the 2, 11 and 1. In a tight game, the field position the rookie gave the Hawks was a major factor in their 23-20 win.

An early-game visit from the coach after a bad punt helped turn around his night.

"Look, this game is early," Holmgren told his punter. "And it appears it's going to be one of those games where you're going to have to punt the ball a lot. You know you're good. Just calm down and do what you're supposed to do. Just kick it right down the middle as far as you can kick, and you're going to be fine."

On a cold night in Denver, Holmgren kept his cool.

"When he's angry, I have to get past the looks and the tone and listen to what he's saying," Plackemeier says. "I think he's very good with his words and what he's trying to say."

But really, the message for this 22-year-old in his first real job out of college is simple: Don't get comfortable. Don't mess it up. You can be replaced.

Steve Kelley: 206-464-2176 or skelley@seattletimes.com.