Alterations Begin for New Bears Punter
New Bears punter Trenton Gill can do little now to show how he'll adapt to the difficult climate at Soldier Field but has already shown he can alter parts of his game.
He did this through the help of special teams coordinator Richard Hightower.
"He knows a lot, he knows a lot about punting," Gill said of Hightower. "Most special teams guys are more special teams-wise, and they don't really understand the full aspects of specialists."
By that Gill meant coordinators know about organizing special teams returns, coverages, blocking, tackling and other aspects but not the actual kicking or punting of the ball.
The Bears had this situation come up in the aftermath of the Cody Parkey debacle when they had to hire kicking adviser/coach Jamie Kohl to help them find a replacement.
Apparently they won't need to worry about any of this with Hightower.
"But he’s been great," Gill said. "I love him. I love working with him. I love getting in meetings and watching film with him. He has had some great advice for me."
The advice Hightower offered already had nothing to do with kicking it, however.
“With holding, he taught me something," Gill said. "And I was like, 'man, why haven't I been doing this the whole time? But I’m appreciative of him and what he has brought to me."
Gill, who will have a roster challenge from veteran journeyan Ryan Winslow, is taking on the job of holding for Cairo Santos on kicks that Pat O'Donnell formerly had.
There's no word from the Bears on whether Gill will also be kicking off. He has a strong leg and kicked off in addition to punting in college.
It would make sense if he is able to do it. When Gill is on the field it gives them a possible 6-foot-4, 219-pound player as a potential tackler on kickoffs.
When Santos kicks off, it gives them a 5-8, 175-pound athlete as a tackler on kickoffs.
The actual kicking off is the key, however, and Gill would need to prove he can do this.
As for the weather issue, it's clear Gill hasn't had the experience of punting and kicking off in weather as severe as he'll see in Chicago. He was born, raised and went to college in North Carolina. They didn't play games in sub-40 field conditions like the Bears can face from Halloween on until season's end.
However, Gill already has a solid concept when it comes to handling such difficulty.
"I think just kind of focusing on my technique, focusing on my form," Gill said. "No matter what the conditions are, I still have to punt the ball. It's the same punt. It's not anything really different. It's really the same thing. But you just kind of have to take into account the elements if it does get pretty extreme.
"I'm just trying to focus on getting better every day, getting better at dropping (the ball), getting better at punting, holding, everything. Those are the big things I'm working on."
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