Overview
Edward Shane Lechler (; born August 7, 1976) is an American former professional football player who played as punter for 18 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M University and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.
Regarded as one of the greatest punters in NFL history, Lechler was named an All-Pro nine times during his career, and made seven Pro Bowls. He led the league in punting average five times and is the NFL's all-time leader in career punting average. Lechler was one of two punters named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, along with Hall of Famer Ray Guy.
Early years
Lechler attended East Bernard High School in East Bernard, Texas, and was a standout in football, basketball, golf, and baseball. As quarterback, punter and placekicker, he led East Bernard to the state quarterfinals his senior year, completing 87 of 101 (86.1%) passes for 1,640 yards and 11 touchdowns. In his high school career, he passed for nearly 5,000 yards and averaged 41.6 yards per punt. His longest punt in high school was 85 yards.
College career
Lechler attended Texas A&M University, and played for the Aggies football team from 1996 to 1999. A versatile player, he was not only the Aggies' punter but also kicked off, was the long field goal kicker, served as the holder for short field goals and PATs, and was the emergency quarterback. As a junior, he completed a 29-yard pass on a fake punt against Baylor and threw a touchdown pass to Dan Campbell on a fake field goal in a hard-fought 17–10 win against Texas Tech.
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