Nugent hard at work in NFL Columbus ?Mike Nugent knows a common perception is NFL players have access to VIP parties and bountiful female companionship, but being a rookie kicker for the New York Jets did nothing to enhance his social life.The ex-Ohio State star lived by himself in an apartment on Long Island, far from the bright lights of the city. And he was so intent on meeting the franchise?s expectations for him he had little interest in becoming another Broadway Joe. ?I was in bed at 10 o?clock every night because I wanted to get ready for the game the next week,? he said. ?And with games on Sunday, it doesn?t let you do much on Saturday night, anyway.?You want to make sure you work hard and do your job. Just like any job, you want to be at your best every day.? Nugent, who is taking three classes at OSU this quarter, didn?t maintain the standards he set for himself while becoming the football program?s all-time leading scorer. But he had acceptable results for a rookie.The second-round draftee connected on 22 of 28 field goals for a 78.6-percent clip ? the 20th-best figure in the 32-team league ? and he hit all 24 of his extra points.But the straight-from-the-box NFL football doesn?t travel as far as the worn ones used in college. And Nugent, who displayed great range as a Buckeye, never made a field goal longer than 49 yards and failed to consistently reach ideal distances on kickoffs.?In the cold weather and with that new ball, it?s tough,? he said. ?It just doesn?t like to fly as much as you want it to. You?ve got to hit it solid.?Nugent became only the third kicker since 1989 to be taken in the first two rounds of the draft, and he signed a reported four-year contract for more than $3 million, including $1.625 million in guaranteed bonuses. But those hefty paychecks come with a cost. The New York media are notoriously adversarial ? one newspaper chastised team management for picking what it considered a run-of-the-mill kicker ahead of impact players like the Bengals? Odell Thurman ? and Jets fans could be hostile, too.But Nugent is too busy counting his blessings to worry about any naysayers.?I felt the same way at Ohio State,? he said. ?I never took anything for granted. I?d look around and say, ?I?m getting a great education and getting to play at, in my opinion, the best place to play in college football.??Nugent is working toward finishing his business degree. But he just bought a condo in Westbury, N.Y., near the team?s practice facilities at Hofstra University, and he plans to have a George Blanda-like career. ?I?ve always said I want to be the oldest guy who ever plays in the NFL,? he chirped. ?I want people to say, ?Oh, that guy should retire.??In my opinion, as long as you?re kicking the ball straight, you can play as long as you want. That?s my biggest goal ? to retire when I want to. > http://www.middletownjournal.com/sports/content/sports/stories/2006/02/15/mj021506nugent.html
his biggest goal is to retire when he wants to?? oh man, thats not good. I mean, yea.. people always wish to have long careers in the league, but u can't be focused on that.. u gotta be focused on winning a championship and getting better every year.. After the year the rookie year he had, I think he should concentrate on his kicking power a little more than worrying about retiring... and why would he buy a place by hofstra if the jets are moving their practice facility??
I keep thinking you are posting old news in all of these threads, then I remember everything is new around here !!!!! :beer:
You took that at face value..... what I believe he meant was that he wants to be good for a very long time..... I have a very different read on his comments. Man, you are just looking to knock this guy.... so, he buys a condo. He moves to Jersey, and he rents it out, and let's it's value increase as an investment. He certainly has the money to invest, and buying a condo is a safe investment. Sounds like this kid is pretty smart.... better than throwing his money away on rent.
And to think Thurman is only having an impact in jail. I would hope Nugent can find a way to improve those kickoffs. They've gotten better, but to often they fade at the 10 yard line.
