Tynes to make history on league debut for Chiefs

4th and Long · 09-12-2004, 07:38 AM

http://www.sundayherald.com/44719

Kansas kicker is first Scot to play in NFL

Gridiron: Greenock-born Lawrence Tynes to make history on league debut for Chiefs.

History accords Jock Bain Sutherland the honour as the first Scot to make his mark in the National Football League, the Coupar Angus émigré earning his entry into gridiron’s annals via stints as head coach of Brooklyn and Pittsburgh back in the 1940s. However Lawrence Tynes will grab his little slice of history when he trots on to the turf at Mile High Stadium in Denver tonight, the first son of Caledonia to play on the sport’s ultimate stage.
Born in Greenock, he has been a resident of the United States since the age of 11, his father’s career in the US Army requiring his Scottish wife and their brood to up sticks from their home in Campbeltown for a new world an ocean away. The travelling has barely stopped. Two years ago, he returned from whence he came for a stint with the Claymores. Then followed two seasons in Canada with the Ottawa Renegades. Now though he has found a home, finally, in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs.

“I’m looking at this as a new start because it’s where I’ve wanted to be since I was in college,” Tynes affirms. “I’ve been to Europe. I’ve been to Canada. I’ve been in camp here a couple of times. And now this is something I hope which will be the start of something that lasts a long time. It’s definitely exciting, yes. But you know you still have a job to do and I have to stay composed with Sunday night in mind.”

Earning the Chiefs con-fidence at the third attempt was not easy. He had to unceremoniously eject Danish veteran Morten Andersen whose longevity has brought him within 88 points of the NFL’s all-time scoring record. “There are only 32 jobs in the world doing this so it’s hard to break into that group,” Tynes reflects. “The guys there are good. They do their job every year. You have to wait for an opportunity to come along and then get very, very lucky to land in a spot where they are ready to replace someone else. So I’m fortunate to be here now.”

He refused to tap Anderson’s vast pool of knowledge, confident in his own accumulated insight. “It’s been working for three years so I didn’t want to change. I’m pretty technical about what I do. I stay with the fundamentals in terms of my steps and my follow through and all that. It’s like a golf swing. You have to work at it every day.”

In Canada, he eschewed the tee shots. The CFL permits the use of a stand to take kicks but Tynes knew it would serve him ill in the eyes of NFL scouts. Plus the role gave him a more rounded grounding than NFL Europe provided. “In Canada I took the short stuff and the long stuff, everything, so that was beneficial.”

After failing just short of making the Super Bowl last season, the Chiefs have tried to upgrade their porous defence in a bid to take the next step. However the AFC Conference remains as strong as ever with the defending champions, the New England Patriots, looking well-placed for a rare championship repeat.

“We have a tough schedule but that’s what happens when you win a lot of games,” Tynes adds. “I just have to keep striving to be consistent and help this team win. We are a Super Bowl contender according to most people so it’s going to be a real challenge.”

The hard work is over. But the real graft, for the Scot and his Chiefs, has only just begun.

09-12-2004, 07:38 AM	Topic Starter
4th and Long Wheeeeee!!! Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: In a house Casino cash: $9354925	Tynes to make history on league debut for Chiefs http://www.sundayherald.com/44719 Kansas kicker is first Scot to play in NFL Gridiron: Greenock-born Lawrence Tynes to make history on league debut for Chiefs. History accords Jock Bain Sutherland the honour as the first Scot to make his mark in the National Football League, the Coupar Angus émigré earning his entry into gridiron’s annals via stints as head coach of Brooklyn and Pittsburgh back in the 1940s. However Lawrence Tynes will grab his little slice of history when he trots on to the turf at Mile High Stadium in Denver tonight, the first son of Caledonia to play on the sport’s ultimate stage. Born in Greenock, he has been a resident of the United States since the age of 11, his father’s career in the US Army requiring his Scottish wife and their brood to up sticks from their home in Campbeltown for a new world an ocean away. The travelling has barely stopped. Two years ago, he returned from whence he came for a stint with the Claymores. Then followed two seasons in Canada with the Ottawa Renegades. Now though he has found a home, finally, in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs. “I’m looking at this as a new start because it’s where I’ve wanted to be since I was in college,” Tynes affirms. “I’ve been to Europe. I’ve been to Canada. I’ve been in camp here a couple of times. And now this is something I hope which will be the start of something that lasts a long time. It’s definitely exciting, yes. But you know you still have a job to do and I have to stay composed with Sunday night in mind.” Earning the Chiefs con-fidence at the third attempt was not easy. He had to unceremoniously eject Danish veteran Morten Andersen whose longevity has brought him within 88 points of the NFL’s all-time scoring record. “There are only 32 jobs in the world doing this so it’s hard to break into that group,” Tynes reflects. “The guys there are good. They do their job every year. You have to wait for an opportunity to come along and then get very, very lucky to land in a spot where they are ready to replace someone else. So I’m fortunate to be here now.” He refused to tap Anderson’s vast pool of knowledge, confident in his own accumulated insight. “It’s been working for three years so I didn’t want to change. I’m pretty technical about what I do. I stay with the fundamentals in terms of my steps and my follow through and all that. It’s like a golf swing. You have to work at it every day.” In Canada, he eschewed the tee shots. The CFL permits the use of a stand to take kicks but Tynes knew it would serve him ill in the eyes of NFL scouts. Plus the role gave him a more rounded grounding than NFL Europe provided. “In Canada I took the short stuff and the long stuff, everything, so that was beneficial.” After failing just short of making the Super Bowl last season, the Chiefs have tried to upgrade their porous defence in a bid to take the next step. However the AFC Conference remains as strong as ever with the defending champions, the New England Patriots, looking well-placed for a rare championship repeat. “We have a tough schedule but that’s what happens when you win a lot of games,” Tynes adds. “I just have to keep striving to be consistent and help this team win. We are a Super Bowl contender according to most people so it’s going to be a real challenge.” The hard work is over. But the real graft, for the Scot and his Chiefs, has only just begun.
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