Houston Texans Positional Breakdown: Special Teams

Dec 7, 2014; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Houston Texans punter Shane Lechler (9) at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Richard Dole-USA TODAY Sports

Shane Lechler 6’2″ 230 Pounds, 38 Years Old

You don’t become a 38-year old NFL player by being average, as Shane Lechler has been one of the better punters in the NFL for years now. Like Bullock, Lechler is a Texas A&M product, and was also born in the Lone Star State.

Some Background Info;

Lechler was drafted in round five by the Oakland Raiders in 2000, where he spent 13 seasons before signing a three-year $5.5 million deal in 2013 with Houston. He has punted the ball 1,185 times now in his 15 year career and has an average of 47.5 yards per punt.

Since signing with the Texans he has not slowed down any, staying right near his career average while placing 34 kicks inside the 20 in 2013 and another 27 last year.

Lechler is a seven-time Pro Bowl player and was named to the NFL’s All-2000’s Decade team. Lechler also holds the record for the longest punt in Raiders history, after hitting an 80-yarder in 2011, and is now third in the NFL all-time in punt yardage with 56,249 yards.

What To Expect This Year;

The team will continue to not have to worry about their punting game in 2015, and while they do have rookie Will Johnson out of Texas State on the roster, he is only there to keep Lechler fresh during the preseason, and is no competition. I expect Lechler to overtake Sean Landeta for number two all-time in punt yardage before this season is over.

Next: Rounding The Unit Out