Bill Belichick Calls Rams Punter Johnny Hekker 'A Weapon' Three Times During Press Conference
BOSTON (CBS) -- Bill Belichick was a big fan of Johnny Hekker when he was all the Rams really had to offer back in 2016. And now that he's about to face the Los Angeles punter in Super Bowl LIII, the Patriots head coach is making his love for the special teams ace crystal clear.
Belichick called Hekker a weapon two years ago, and that feeling (and love) has grown even stronger. On Thursday, Belichick referred to Hekker as a weapon not once, not twice, but three different times during his press conference at Gillette Stadium.
"Really every kicking play is an explosive play, potentially, for the Rams," said Belichick. "The kickers have big legs. Obviously, [Greg] Zuerlein's field goal was the difference in the [NFC] Championship game. Hekker's a tremendous player, great athlete. He's a weapon."
Asked about the versatility and uniqueness of Hekker's booming right leg, Belichick restated his respect for the punter.
"Yeah, again, he's a weapon on the field," Belichick repeated. "He can change field position. He's a good situational punter. Obviously he's very athletic and you have to respect his ability to handle the ball. I think the main thing when you send your punt return team out there is you want to make sure you get the ball back at the end of the play. That's not always that difficult, but these guys it's pretty challenging. They're, as I said, they're all weapons. Zuerlein's a weapon, Hekker's a weapon. They do a good job in the return game."
Just in case you couldn't tell, Belichick sees Hekker as a valuable weapon on the L.A. roster. And rightfully so. The man knows a thing or two about special teams and how they play a big part on a championship football team. Hekker is one of the best in the business when it comes to pinning an opponent deep, averaging 46.3 yards per punt during the season. Nearly half of his 43 punts were downed inside the 20-yard line.
He's also down for some trickeration whenever head coach Sean McVay dials up a fake punt. Hekker fired a 12-yard bullet on a fake boot against the Saints in last weekend's NFC Championship, turning a fourth-and-5 at their own 30-yard line into a fresh set of downs for the Rams. It was a pretty risky play, but McVay had the confidence in his punter to deliver a perfect pass and move the chains. The Rams ended up getting a field goal out of the drive for their first points of the game.
Over his seven-year career, Hekker has completed 11 of the 19 passes he's thrown for 156 yards and a touchdown. He's also averaged 47 yards per punt, with only two of his 542 boots getting blocked.
While most would just consider Hekker an extremely talented punter, Bill Belichick sees much, much more.
