Players

The next person who claims NFL kickers and punters aren’t tough obviously hasn’t met Chargers punter Mike Scifres (SIGH-fres). The franchise’s all-time leader for career punting average (44.5) and a member of the Chargers’ 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, Scifres has excelled the last two seasons despite enduring the painful effects of a bilateral hernia that first surfaced in 2009. Making matters even worse, as the protection broke down in front of him, Scifres had an NFL-leading four punts blocked in 2010 and a fifth deflected. Despite the near constant pressure, Scifres still averaged a team-record 46.7 yards per punt in ’10. Now with the injury healed and new special teams coach Rich Bisaccia on board, Scifres is hoping to get back to the form that saw him be named a Pro Bowl alternate six seasons running from 2004-09.

Scifres credits his leg strength and flexibility to a workout regimen that includes weightlifting and Pilates. It was almost a fluke that Scifres ended up with the Chargers. It happened on a recommendation from Kyle Smith, the son of Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith. As a freshman at Youngstown State, Smith had returned punts against Scifres, who played for Missouri Valley Conference foe, Western Illinois. Less than a year after fielding the call from Kyle, and despite having Pro Bowl punter Darren Bennett on the roster, Smith drafted Scifres in the fifth round in 2003.

Scifres cemented his resume as one of the NFL’s top punters during an outstanding 2008 season when he set a team record and ranked third in the league with a 40.9-yard net punting average. He allowed zero or negative punt return yards in seven games. He had only five touchbacks in 51 punts (9.8%) for the entire season and landed 19 those of 51 attempts inside the 20. Among players with 40-ormore punts, only two others allowed fewer than Scifres’ 146 return yards, and only five teams had more than 15 punt return yards against the Chargers all season.

Scifres continued his season with a record-breaking night in the Bolts’ AFC Wild Card Playoff win over the Indianapolis Colts. He landed all six of his punts inside the 20, the highest number and percentage of punts ever landed inside the 20 during a playoff game. He also averaged a playoff-record 51.7 net yards per punt as the Colts managed just six punt return yards for the game. As a result of Scifres’ outstanding work, the Colts were forced to start drives at their own 10, 19, 3, 7, 9 and 1-yard lines following punts. Scifres’ last punt may have been his best, a kick that rolled out of bounds at the 1-yard line, setting the stage for the Chargers’ late fourth-quarter comeback.

2008 wasn’t the first time that Scifres experienced postseason success against Indianapolis. In ’07, he helped send the Chargers to the AFC Championship Game with another dominating performance in the Divisional Playoffs at the RCA Dome. Scifres set a team postseason record by averaging 59.0 yards per punt. He saved his best for last again, hitting a postseason team-record 66-yarder with the Bolts backed up at their own 14-yard line and only 1:42 left in the fourth quarter. Kicking from his own goal line, the Colts fielded Scifres’ punt at their own 20. That punt lit a fire on the Chargers’ sideline and the defense ended the Colts’ season on downs four plays later, sending the Chargers on to New England.

One of the beneficiaries of Scifres’ success has been the Ronald McDonald House Charities in San Diego. Since 2008, fans have been able to make pledges to the Ronald McDonald House based on the number of punts inside the 20 that Scifres lands. Fans who made donations get entered into a drawing for a chance to win prizes. Scifres has also served as a spokesperson and made personal appearances on behalf of Ronald McDonald House Charities. The RHMC provides a comfortable place to stay for families whose children face and are being treated for lifethreatening illnesses. Throughout his career, Scifres has also been a big supporter of San Diego’s Rady Children’s Hospital.

Speaking of children, Scifres’ wife, Stacey, gave birth to the couple’s first children, twins Berkeley and Bristyn, in April.

Scifres went to high school in Destrehan, Louisiana, not far from New Orleans. One of his prep teammates was Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed, who funny enough was the team’s punter at the time. Because of Reed’s strong leg, Scifres was initially relegated to kickoffs, field goals and extra points. Few would’ve guessed that Scifres would turn out to be such a special player. Scifres and Reed have remained friends.

Scifres is one of the team’s best golfers. He plays regularly with his special teams mates David Binn and Nate Kaeding. Scifres likes to golf in exotic locales like Hawaii and Mexico, and currently plays to a 15 handicap.

TRANSACTION HISTORY: Fifth-round pick (149), April 27, 2003…signed, July 19…signed four-year contract extension through 2011, Nov. 3, 2005.

2011: Took over for an injured Nate Kaeding in Week 1 against Minnesota and scored his first-career NFL points, including a game-tying 40-yard field goal with 10:05 remaining in the fourth quarter...it tied the game at 17-17...Scifres’ last made field goal in a live game (college or pro) was a 56-yard game-winner as time expired to give Western Illinois a 44-41 win over Northern Iowa in 2000 for a conference title...Scifres was also good on all three point-after attempts...Scifres also handled kickoffs and had two touchbacks...Kaeding suffered season-ending torn ligaments in his left knee on on the game’s opening kickoff...Mike Scifres had his first touchback of the season Week 10 against Oakland, ending a string of 23-straight punts to start the season without one...the punt which ended the string was a 71-yarder that tied his career long...Scifres helped the Chargers hold their 16-0 lead at half in Week 14 against Buffalo by knocking consecutive punts out of bounds at the Bills’ 12 and five-yard line late in the second quarter.

2010: Punt block in second quarter Sept. 19 vs. Jacksonville ...two punts blocked Oct. 10 at Oakland, one for safety and another for touchdown...averaged season-best 59.5 on six punts and handled kickoffs for injured Nate Kaeding Oct. 17 at St. Louis...punt blocked for safety Oct. 31 vs. Tennessee ...deflected punt in early first quarter led to touchdown Nov. 7 at Houston...completed 28-yard pass to Mike Tolbert on fake punt in first quarter Nov. 22 vs. Denver.

2009: Pro Bowl third-alternate…USA Today All-Joe…Game Ball after best-ever game at KC Oct. 25...49.0 average on four punts, forcing three FCs and allowing only one PR for 44.8 net...Game Ball after Dec. 13 win at DAL...buried consecutive punts at four and one during pivotal 3Q.

2008: Pro Bowl first-alternate…USA Today All-Joe…season-long 65-yarder Sept. 28 at OAK…50.5 net Oct. 5 at MIA was career-high in games with multiple punts...only -1 PR yards Nov. 9 vs. KC for higher net (44.3) than gross (44.0)… SI.com Special Teams POW after team postseason and NFL Playoff record six I-20 in Jan. 5 Wild Card vs. IND…52.7 average was third-highestin game in team playoff history and 51.7-net was NFL postseason record (min. 5 att.)…set stage for late 4Q comeback by having final punt (52 yards) roll OB at one… first-ever NFL punt returned for TD in Jan. 11 AFC Divisional Playoff game at PIT. 

2007: USA Today All-Joe...Pro Bowl first-alternate…first-career block by DEN’s Tony Scheffler Oct. 7…AFC Special Teams POW after 50.2 net vs. HOU Oct. 28…5-of-5 I-20 vs. Texans to run streak of consecutive I-20 to nine…season-long 70-yarder vs. BAL Nov. 25…early 4Q Dec. 9 vs. TEN, 39-yarder downed at one...led to three-and-out by defense and TD by offense…in OT, 51-yarder downed at two…it too was followed by three-and-out and GW TD drive…vs. DEN Dec. 24 on MNF, handled KOs for Nate Kaeding (injury)…Jan. 13 Divisional Playoffs at IND, new team postseason record 59.0 ypp…hit postseason team-record 66-yarder from own 14-with 1:42 left in 4Q…no PR yards allowed in AFC Championship Game at NE.

2006: Pro Bowl first-alternate…season-long 71-yarder, Oct. 1 at BAL…last punt, in 4Q Dec. 3 at BUF went for TB for only second TB of season (Oct. 1 at Baltimore)...ended streak of 38 consecutive without TB…career-high 10 punts in rainy Dec. 24 game at SEA…tied team playoff record with seven punts in Divisional Playoffs vs. NE...five I-20 tied John Kidd’s then team playoff record.

2005: Pro Bowl second-alternate…season-high 57.5 ypp vs. NYJ Nov. 6…season-long 71-yarder in ESPN SNF game vs. OAK Dec. 4.

2004: Pro Bowl first-alternate…firstteam All-Pro by SI and SI.com…Chargers Special Teams POY…one PR for one yard and two FC by All-Pro returner Dante Hall Nov. 28 at KC…Dec. 5 vs. DEN, first TB since Sept. 26 at DEN, ending 36 consecutive punts without…23 of 36 during stretch landed I-20…Chargers Alumni POW after TB game Dec. 12…Jan. 2 vs. KC, threw INT as holder on botched FGA.

2003: Handled KOs Wks 4, 7, 12-14 and 16.

COLLEGE: I-AA All-America as soph and senior …three-time first-team all-conference…only 1-AA punter named finalist for '02 Ray Guy Award…second in nation with 48.0 avg. as senior…National POW four times by Football Gazette and Special Teams POW for Gateway Conference twice as senior…conference and Sports Network POW three times as soph…I-AA Special Teams POW after school and conference-record 89-yard punt vs. SW Missouri in '00…school-record 56-yard FG vs. Northern Iowa as time expired in 44-41 win for ’00 conference title...was first-career FGA…All-Newcomer as redshirt frosh in '99…played at Western Illinois from 1998-02…communications and broadcasting degree.

PERSONAL: Born in Metairie, Louisiana…all-district selection at Destrehan (La.) HS…lettered in football, soccer and baseball.