SAN DIEGO – As we begin our preview of the specialists available in the 2012 NFL Draft, here’s a look at players the Chargers have drafted at the position.
Player: ![]()
Position: K
Drafted: 2004, third round (65th overall)
School: Iowa
Career with Chargers: Kaeding honed his accuracy kicking field goals on narrower-than-regulation goal posts. From inside 40 yards, he’s almost automatic, making 76 of his last 77 attempts. His 86.5 percent regular-season field goal percentage ties Kaeding with Mike Vanderjagt as the most accurate in NFL history. Kaeding has played in 117 games, including all 16 regular-season games and eight playoff games from 2004-09. The two-time Pro Bowler enters his ninth year with San Diego in 2012. He missed almost all of 2011 with a knee injury.
Player: ![]()
Position: P
Drafted: 2003, fifth round (149th overall)
School: Western Illinois
Career with Chargers: Known for pinpoint accuracy and better-than-average hang time, Scifres has pinned opponents inside their 20-yard line 217 times during his nine seasons. A six-time Pro Bowl alternate, Scifres is San Diego’s all-time leader in career punting average (44.8). After handling kickoffs in six games as a rookie, Scifres has never missed a game despite a bilateral hernia in 2009. A member of the Chargers’ 50th-Anniversary All-Time team along with Kaeding, Scifres has proven valuable beyond his punting ability, handling placekicking duties and throwing a 28-yard pass on a fake punt.
Player: Ralf Mojsiejenko
Position: P
Drafted: 1985, fourth round (96th overall)
School: Michigan State
Career with Chargers: San Diego’s highest-drafted punter in history, “Mojo” also became the first Chargers punter to earn a Pro Bowl selection after leading the AFC with a 42.9-yard average in 1987. His best season came a year later as he averaged 44.1 yards per punt in ’88, second in the NFL. The 6-foot-3 German drilled a 61-yard field goal against Illinois in college, his first career attempt. He was drafted before Kevin Greene, Herschel Walker and Jay Novacek.
Player: Dennis Partee
Position: P/K
Drafted: 1968, 11th round (291st overall)
School: Southern Methodist University
Career with Chargers: Partee handled placekicking and punting responsibilities, leading the AFL with 44.6 yards per punt in 1969 and scoring 106 points in ’68. The latter total was a Chargers team record until ’80 (Rolf Benirschke). Partee played eight seasons for San Diego.
Player: George Blair
Position: RB/K
Drafted: 1960 (selection to stock franchise)
School: Ole Miss
Career with Chargers: Blair spurned the NFL’s New York Giants, who also drafted him, to play for the Chargers. Part of two national championship teams in college as an All-SEC halfback and kicker, Blair was a member of the Bolts’ 1963 AFL Championship team as well. His 85 percent field goal accuracy in ’62 was thought to be a professional football record and he made the AFL All-Star team that season.
Here are some other drafted specialists:
| OTHER DRAFTED SPECIALISTS | ||||
| Year | Player | Position | Round/Drafted | School |
| 2006 | Kurt Smith | K | 6th (188 overall) | Virginia |
| 1992 | Carlos Huerta | K | 12th (315) | Miami |
| 1982 | Maury Buford | P | 8th (215) | Texas Tech |
| 1980 | Stuart Dodds | P | 7th (191) | Montana State |
| 1978 | Gavin Hendrick | P | 8th (200) | Washington State |
| 1977 | Cliff Olander | QB-P | 5th (128) | New Mexico State |
| 1976 | Tony DiRienzo | K | 8th (212) | Oklahoma |
| 1972 | Bill McClard | K | 3rd (61) | Arkansas |
| 1967 | David Conway | K | 7th (173) | Texas |
| 1965 | Braden Beck | K | 19th (150) | Stanford |
| 1960 | Paul Maguire | LB/P | N/A | Citadel |