Matthew Jaeger wants nothing to do with your preconceived notions about what it means to be a kicker. The Robbinsdale Armstrong senior is a workout fanatic, a trait not always associated with specialists. He also competed in tennis and soccer…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inMatthew Jaeger wants nothing to do with your preconceived notions about what it means to be a kicker.
The Robbinsdale Armstrong senior is a workout fanatic, a trait not always associated with specialists. He also competed in tennis and soccer for the Falcons, but gave up both sports after his sophomore year to focus solely on football. That gave him time to travel to kicking camps around the country and fine tune his craft.
“The worst thing [about being a kicker] is people not understanding how difficult it is,” Jaeger said.
Jaeger is entering his third season as the Falcons kicker and punter. He was one of the most accurate kickers in the state last year, connecting on 25-of-26 PATs and 4-of-5 field goals, with a long of 44 yards. He said he’s been working this offseason to become more consistent and improve his ball height.
Armstrong coach Jack Negen said Jaeger’s impressed him with his hard work and dedication to become a better kicker.
“He has found opportunities to make himself better every day and dedicated himself to be a great kicker,” Negen said via email. “His leg continues to get stronger and he continues to get better at the little things.”
Negen said more than 95 percent of Jaeger’s kickoffs went for touchbacks in 2016. He said he expects a similar rate this fall, and added that 50-yard field goals are not out of the question because of Jaeger’s added leg strength. He also praised Jaeger improvement as a punter.
“I’ve been coaching football for 20 years and have never had a kicker like Matthew,” Negen said. “I believe he will be one of the best kickers in the state.”
The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder attended camps at the University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin earlier this summer. He’s also taken an unofficial visit to Madison, and said the Gophers and Badgers are the two schools he’s heard from the most.
“Other schools such as Purdue, Stanford, Alabama-Birmingham and other small schools in Minnesota have reached out too,” Jaeger said.
Jaeger, who also sings in the concert choir at Armstrong, said his ideal college situation is an institution where he can receive an elite education while also being a part of a winning football program. As far as his academics are concerned, he said kinesiology was a possible major.
