Players

Being good is just not good enough for Chargers’ kicker Nate Kaeding. Several years ago, he enlisted the services of local golf pro, Derek Uyeda, to videotape and analyze his leg swing. He’s struck a friendship with Jan Stenerud, one of the greatest NFL kickers of all-time. He’s trained at St. Vincent’s in Indianapolis, where professional trainers worked with him on maximizing his physical strengths. And in the months leading up to training camp last year, he hired a sports psychologist to help him with his mental approach to the game. All of these varied techniques paid dividends as Kaeding made a career-high 27 field goals, including a team-record 57-yarder, in 2008.

  Kaeding heads into 2009 as the NFL’s second-most accurate kicker of all time with a career 118-of-137 (.861) ledger. The only kicker in the history of the game more accurate than Kaeding is Mike Vanderjagt (1998-06), who hit 86.5% of his kicks, going 230-of-266. Just as impressive is Kaeding’s team-record streak of 221 consecutive made PATs that dates back to 2004.

  The highlight of Kaeding’s ’08 season was Sept. 28 in Oakland when he nailed first-career game-winner on a 47-yard field goal with 1:51 to play. It allowed him to erase the memory of having a 44-yarder blocked earlier in the game that ended a string of 16 consecutive made field goals, the third-longest streak in team history.

  Kaeding has strung together several impressive seasons since being selected by the Chargers in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. In his first year, Kaeding set a team rookie record with 114 points and was the leading scorer among all NFL rookies. In 2006, he was the NFL’s second-leading kick scorer with a team-record 136 points. He finished the year 26-of-29 (.867) for the second-highest field goal percentage in team history. In 2007, he hit 88.9%, going 24-of-27.

  Kaeding turned in a courageous performance in the 2007 AFC Championship Game. Despite playing with a fractured left leg, he hit all four of his field goal tries against New England on a day when the game-time temperature was just 23 degrees and winds of 17-22 mph lowered the wind-chill to a bitter nine degrees.

  One of the beneficiaries of Kaeding’s 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 successful kicks he makes and fans who made donations were entered into a drawing for a chance to win prizes. Kaeding 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 life-threatening illnesses.

  Kaeding is an avid golfer and frequently tees off with fellow special teamers David Binn and Mike Scifres. It was from those golf outings that the idea was born of having a golf pro analyze his leg swing. The golf pro attends offseason workouts and films Kaeding while he is kicking. After he’s finished, the two review the tape so that Nate can improve his kicking mechanics.

  Kaeding is still renowned in his native Iowa City where he is part-owner of the Short’s Burgers and Shine restaurant. The restaurant prides itself on using fresh local produce and 100 percent Iowa Beef. And while Kaeding was in college, Bob’s Your Uncle Pizza and Cafe, named a pizza after the former Hawkeye standout. The Nate “Kato” Kaeding pizza comes decked out with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms and onions.

  Kaeding was an admitted sports junkie as a youth. With Chicago being the nearest big city, he naturally had a fondness for the Windy City teams and its sports heroes including Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls, and Andre Dawson and Ryne Sandberg of the Cubs.

  Kaeding and wife, Samantha, have a son, Jack, and they are expecting again. Samantha is a former school teacher and Nate earned a teaching certificate in secondary education from the University of Iowa and completed the Character Education Certification Program at the University of San Diego.

  An admitted movie buff, Kaeding has his own internet blog where he reviews films for www.corridorbuzz.com, an online magazine that provides arts and entertainment news and reviews for the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Corridor.

  TRANSACTION HISTORY: Third-round pick (65), April 24, 2004...signed three-year contract July 26, 2004 and six-year extension through 2012, Sept. 25, 2006.

  2009: Hit three key field goals during week six's game on Monday Night Football including a season-long 50 yard make in the third quarter. Hit three field goals and four extra point kicks contributing to 13 of the 37 points scored against the Chiefs. Made a touchdown-saving tackle against the Raiders in week 8 on an Oakland kickoff return. Scored the winning extra point against the Giants in week 9 after a late Vincent Jackson touchdown reception. Nailed a 29-yard field goal to extend the team's lead to eight in the 4th quarter with just 30 seconds left to play. Recorded a season-high tying four field goals inclusing a season-long 47-yarder in week 11. Hit a 55-yard field goal in week 12 against the Chiefs. It was his longest field goal ever in Qualcomm Stadium. Went three for three in week 13 vs the browns making field goals from 32, 42, and 22 yards out. Hit the game winning 52-yard field goal with three seconds left to beat the Bengals and clinch the Chargers' fourth straight AFC West title. 2009 Pro Bowl selection, will be his second career Pro Bowl appearance. Continued his dominant kicking performance in week 17 against the Redskins going three-for-three on distances of 47, 24, and 45 yards to keep the Chargers in the game.

  2008: Career-high six TBs and perfect 3-for-3 on FGs Wk 2 at Denver…overcame tough afternoon Wk 4 in Oakland to nail first-career GW on 47-yarder with 1:51 to play in 4Q…had 44-yarder blocked in 2Q, ending string of 16 consecutive made FGs and also missed from 47...GW kick erased 15-0 deficit and broke 18-18 tie…hit late 4Q game-tying effort from 47 yards Nov. 23 vs. Indy…closed out first half at TB Dec. 21 with team-record and career-long 57-yarder …game-tying 26-yard FG with 31 seconds left in 4Q sent Jan. 5 AFC Wild Card Playoff game vs. Indy to OT where Bolts won, 23-17.

 2007: 51-yard FG Wk 4 vs. KC was season-long and first FG of 50+ at Qualcomm Stadium…season-high four TBs at Denver Oct. 7… 72nd and 73rd FGs of career in Broncos game to take over sole possession of third place on team’s all-time made FGs list…Game Ball from Head Coach Norv Turner after going 4-for-4 (tying career high) with three 40+ FGs vs. Baltimore Nov. 25…hit from 27, 46 and 41 (twice) for most 40+ FGs in game and marked first time in career with more than two 40+ FGs at Qualcomm…injured left non-kicking leg on opening kickoff Dec. 24 vs. Denver, but remained in contest and went 3-for-3 on FGs...4-of-4 in AFC Championship Game at NE on day not ideal for kicking as temperature at KO was 23 degrees with wind gusts of 17-22 mph that lowered wind chill factor to nine degrees.

 2006: Pro Bowl…second-team AP All-Pro …All-AFC by PFW and PFWA…season-high 4-for-4 Wk 2 vs. Tennessee… season-long 54-yarder to tie then team-record Oct. 1 at Baltimore…was 15th-consecutive FGM, third-longest streak in team history…streak ended when next kick went WR from 40…Chargers Alumni POW after breaking Rolf Benirschke’s record by hitting 88th consecutive PAT following first TD at KC Oct. 22…2-for-2  in 20-17 win at Seattle with both FGs in 3Q on 47-degree, rainy day with 18 MPH winds at KO, hitting from 46 and 40 yards…nine points vs. Arizona in Dec. 31, raising season total to 136 for new team kick-scoring record (135, John Carney, 1994)…GW FG from 21 yards out as time expired gave AFC 31-28 win over NFC in 2007 Pro Bowl.

 2005: Bounced back from misses of 42 and 46 yards to hit 48-yarder to bring Bolts to within 17-10 at Washington Nov. 27…began comeback in which Bolts went on to win 23-17 in OT…FOXSports.com Very Special Teams POW and Chargers Alumni POW after hitting GW, season-long 49-yarder for 19-17 lead with 6:41 remaining in 4Q of 26-17 win over previously-unbeaten Indy Dec. 18…one of season-high four FGs vs. Colts.

 2004: PFW and ESPN.com All-Rookie… first-career FG (48 yards) in season opener at Houston…season-long 53-yarder at Atlanta Oct. 17…GW 43-yarder with 2:24 remaining in 4Q at KC Nov. 28… 40-yard FG with 2:06 remaining in 4Q iced 31-24 victory over TB Dec. 12…50-yarder at Indy Dec. 26 and scored seven points to raise season total to 108, setting new rookie record (106, Dennis Partee, 1968).

  COLLEGE: School-record holder for consecutive FGs (22) and PATs (60), and career FGs (67) and PATs (166)…career school and conference record 373 points…24 of 29 on FGs of 40+…20 of 21 as senior… All-America as junior and senior…Lou Groza Award as junior as nation’s top kicker…three-time All-Big Ten … two-time Academic All-America and All-Big Ten…five-time Big Ten Special Teams POW…two-year team captain and three-time Special Teams POY…Hayden Fry “Extra Heartbeat” Award as senior…National Honor Society student…served on school’s Leadership Council…played at Iowa from 2000-03…degrees in history and secondary education.

  PERSONAL: Born in Iowa City, Iowa…all-state and all-conference kicker at West High School in Iowa City…state records for points (93), PATs (63) and TBs (53) as senior…state champions as junior and senior, posting perfect 26-0 record…lettered in basketball and soccer…starting PG on state championship basketball team as senior…clinched state championship for soccer team senior year by scoring GW goal in OT shootout.