The Chicago Bears have had a Pro Bowl punter just once in their 100-year history. How's that for a fun fact? The harder part is guessing who it was. People might be surprised the honor belongs to Bobby Joe Green. He was the Bears' punter from 1962 to 1973. He helped them win an NFL championship and made the Pro Bowl in 1970.
So did he have one of the best overall punts in modern league history? No he didn't. When the NFL released their highlight reel covering the best coffin corner kicks seen in the past few decades, two Bears ended up making the cut. Neither of them Green. So here's the fun trivia question. Who were the two players that pulled the feat off?
Give up?
They were longtime punter Brad Maynard, famous for his work during the Lovie Smith era in the 2000s. The other was Pat O'Donnell the 6th round pick out of Miami in 2014. He took over for Maynard's bridge replacement Adam Podlesh.
Chicago Bears hoping O'Donnell takes another step forward
Maynard is considered the gold standard of Bears punting to most fans these day. While he wasn't known for booming kicks, his accuracy and precision were well-known. That kick against Detroit wasn't the only great coffin corner one he had. There was another of note in the playoffs against Seattle in 2010 that was every bit as impressive. What's even more amazing is he only had three of his kicks blocked in 10 years.
Chicago is certainly hoping O'Donnell can reach that same level. He had arguably his best season yet in 2018. He matched his career-high net average of 39.7 yards with 28 kicks downed inside the 20-yard line. He also only allowed 150 return yards total. O'Donnell still suffers from consistency issues, but he has steadily improved.
It's why the team brought him back on a two-year deal this offseason. They believe his best is still to come.
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