Athletes - Michael Koenen

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	Athletes - Michael Koenen

Michael Koenen (born July 13, 1982 in Ferndale, Washington) is an American football punter in the NFL, currently playing with the Atlanta Falcons.

College career

Koenen played college football for Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, and is one of only two NFL players in history to have attended that school. While there, he received numerous Division II All-American honors from sources such as Street & Smith, Lindy's Football Annuals, Don Hanen's Football Gazette, Daktronics, Inc., and D2football.com, as well as being recognized by the NCAA. He was also named a Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) all-star four times as a placekicker and twice as a punter. He ended his college career as the Western Washington University, GNAC, and Northwest small college all-time leader in kicking scoring with 272 points, including 43 field goals and 143 PATs. He participated in the 2005 Cactus Bowl.

Professional career

Koenen signed a two-year free agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons on April 26, 2005. He went on to edge out veteran punter Toby Gowin, who had also signed a free agent deal that offseason, for the starting job with the Falcons. He appeared in all sixteen regular season games for the Falcons, punting 78 times for 3,300 yards, which was good for a 42.3 yards per punt average and ninth in the NFC. He also served as the team's kickoff specialist and was seventh in the NFC in yards per kickoff. His 14 touchbacks put him behind only Pro Bowler Neil Rackers.

Field goal

In the Falcons' October 9, 2005 game against the New England Patriots, they had the ball on New England's 41 yard line with six seconds remaining in the first half. Since regular placekicker Todd Peterson's range was insufficient to attempt a field goal from that distance, Falcons head coach Jim Mora turned to Koenen. Koenen actually attempted the kick, the first (and so far only) field goal attempt in his pro career, twice. Prior to the intial snap, Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel called a timeout. Koenen heard the referee's whistle but still kicked the field goal. It landed right of the goalpost. A few moments later, Koenen attempted the kick again, and this time made an official 58 yard field goal. It was the longest field goal of Koenen's career at any level, tied for the ninth longest in NFL history (as well as the single longest in the 2005 season), and was the third longest in history by an undrafted kicker.

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