Open Letter to Bengals Legendary Punter Kevin Huber: Thank You

Kevin Huber has spent his whole life in Cincinnati.

Author:
Nicole Zembrodt
Publish date:
Dec 6, 2022 7:46 AM EST

In this story:

Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati, Ohio. A place Kevin Huber has always called home.

Huber grew up on the east side of the city in Anderson. He attended Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Archbishop McNicholas High School, and the University of Cincinnati.

“This city—it’s who I am,” Huber wrote as part of his entry “Cincinnati” in the Player’s Tribune after the Bengals broke their 31-year playoff drought in January. “I’m proud to be from here, I always will be. And standing on our field after the game [against the Raiders] … I felt every bit of that pride. I felt it in my soul… Here’s the thing about that pride, though: It never went away. It was always there—even in the worst moments.”

Huber experienced the highs and lows both as a player and a fan of what it is like to follow the Bengals; the losing teams in the 90s, Marvin Lewis’ franchise turnaround in the 2000s, the heartbreak of losing seven Wild Card Round playoff games (six as a player), and ending the 31-year playoff drought.

The Cincinnati native grew up playing soccer. Huber’s background in soccer and his dad punting for Xavier University before the program was shut down helped him win a Pass, Punt and Kick competition at Riverfront Stadium. He was then picked to punt for his high school team.

As Huber settled into his punting role at Archbishop McNicholas High School, he studied the special teams play at Bengals games at Riverfront Stadium as his love for the position and game of football grew.

He became a three-time all-conference selection and was named the Greater Catholic League's Punter of the Year following his junior and senior seasons. Huber was inducted into Archbishop McNicholas' Hall of Fame in 2016.

The punter chose to stay home and continue playing football at the University of Cincinnati from 2004 to 2008. After walking-on and redshirting his first season, Huber developed into the nation's top punter, earning a scholarship by his junior season.

Huber led the nation in punting average while being named a consensus first-team All-American in both 2007 and 2008. He is the only Bearcat to hold the honor twice in their career.

Following an impressive collegiate career, Huber turned to his next chapter in the NFL.

Cincinnati happened to be one of the teams eyeing a punter in the 2009 draft.

Huber recalls in his Player's Tribune entry how optimistic he was about playing professionally in his hometown after meeting with special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons at the Senior Bowl.

The Bengals selected him in the fifth round as the 142nd overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

“I’ll never forget that moment,” Huber wrote. “Never… knowing I was going to be a Bengal … can’t beat that, man. Can’t beat it.”

Huber would become one of the most decorated Bengals in his 14 years with the team.

He is the team's career leader in each meaningful punting category, including total punts (1011), punting yards (45,766), gross average (45.27), net average (40.34) and punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line (346). He also served as a holder on placekicks his entire Bengals career and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2014.

Huber holds the record for the most games in the history of the team (216), including a streak of 138 consecutive games from 2014-2022. He broke the franchise’s record earlier this season against the Steelers.

Huber passed Ken Riley (207). Riley's record stood since his retirement in 1983.

Not only has Huber had an impact on the field, but he has made one off the field in the community he grew up in.

Huber and his wife Mindi started The Foundation for Underserved Rescues (FUR) in 2017. The Foundation is dedicated to the provision of resources and financial support to underserved animal rescues through community engagement, education, and involvement, with the ultimate goal of eradicating these statistics.

Cincinnati will forever be indebted to Huber for the impact he has had on the city. From his journey as a kid to playing the entirety of his football career in the Queen City—Huber is a Cincinnati legend.

Best of luck in your next chapter and thank you for all you have done and will continue to do for your city, Kevin.

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