Whether it was NFL teams wanting to know how far he can punt a football or what is his choice of beer, former Ball State punter Scott Kovanda has a busy schedule preparing for what he hopes is a job in professional football.
Since Ball State’s season ended, Kovanda has participated in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, the NFL Combine and worked out for the Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 25. He also plans to participate in Ball State’s and Michigan’s Pro Days.
Kovanda said getting to experience the combine was a cool experience, but it was also stressful.
“The NFL kind of does it on purpose,” he said. “The first day you only get like four hours of sleep. ... They want you out of your comfort zone a little bit and then see how you do with the interviews and see how you perform on the field after that.”
His time at the Combine included getting to meet with special teams coaches from all 32 teams and punting drills that measured distance and height. His performance at the Combine resulted in a workout at Scheumann Stadium with the special teams coach from the Eagles earlier this week.
“There’s been interest prior,” Kovanda said. “The special teams coach said I was one of the top four guys he was looking at from the Combine.”
Coach Pete Lembo said Kovanda is in a different situation than most players trying to reach the NFL because of his academics. Kovanda has already graduated with a 3.9 GPA with a major in finance and minor in sales.
Lembo said the goal of redshirt players, which Kovanda was, is to have them graduate by December should they have potential to make it to the next level. But even if Kovanda doesn’t land on a NFL roster by summer, he won’t be without a job.
“He has some job opportunities waiting for him,” Lembo said. “He’s positioned perfectly to give this thing a shot. If it doesn’t work out, obviously he’s in great shape to progress right into his career.”
But he will have history on his side when it comes to Ball State punters making the NFL. Reggie Hodges and Brad Manyard are two most recent former punters to play professionally, a list Kovanda hopes to add his name.
“That’d be huge for me,” he said. “When I came in my freshman year that’s one thing I heard was ‘Punter U’ and I sort of accepted the challenge. I’ve gone up to Chicago to keep up with Brad Maynard and I talk to Reggie Hodges quite a bit. It’d mean a lot, not just to myself, but to keep the tradition with the other guys.”
But as for Kovanda’s preferred choice of beer?
Labatt Blue.
