Packers Sign Kicker With Big Leg to Futures Contract

With Mason Crosby headed to free agency, the Green Bay Packers have just one kicker under contract.

Author:
Bill Huber
Updated:
Jan 10, 2023 8:47 PM EST
Original:
Jan 10, 2023

In this story:

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In their start to building their 90-man offseason roster, the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday signed kicker Parker White but did not retain Ramiz Ahmed.

White was South Carolina’s kicker for five seasons. As a super-senior in 2021, he made 16-of-17 field goals (94.1 percent) with a long of 54 yards as well as all 30 point-after attempts. He set the school’s career record with 368 points and 72 field goals. Six of those field goals provided the deciding points in the fourth quarter or overtime.

The Packers ended the season with three kickers: 38-year-old Mason Crosby, the franchise career scoring leader who is headed to free agency, and practice squad players Ahmed and Matt Ammendola.

A source said the Packers did not re-sign either, meaning White is the only kicker under contract. He worked out for the team in August and again in October, when he hit all 10 field-goal attempts, including 4-for-4 from 50-plus yards and capped by a 60-yarder.

White went undrafted this year and got a couple tryouts afterward but wasn’t signed.

“All it takes is one team, right?” White told The State after the draft.

The COVID year was a big one for White, who made just 11-of-19 during his senior season of 2020.

“I would have been in trouble because I didn’t have a good season in 2020 and the team wasn’t doing well,” White said in reference to receiving another year of eligibility. “We had a lot of unfinished business on the field. So, to be able to capitalize on it the way that we did — winning the (Duke’s Mayo Bowl), for me to be able to break the record and go over like 90 percent this year — I think that was a testament to how the whole team worked.”

White was listed by the Gamecocks as 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, so he’s a big man with a powerful leg.

“He’s automatic. He’s clutch,” coach Shane Beamer said in November. “I don’t know if there’s a better kicker in the country.”

Ahmed was signed midway through training camp and performed well enough to get a season-long spot on the practice squad. He was elevated for kickoffs in two games. One of those was the Week 17 game against Minnesota, when he injured a groin during pregame warmups and didn’t play. The injury had nothing to do with the decision to not give him a contract. With Ahmed on the shelf, the Packers brought in Ammendola.