5 things to know about new Rams punter Corey Bojorquez
Johnny Hekker could have some competition this summer after the Los Angeles Rams signed former Bills punter Corey Bojorquez on Tuesday. It’s a surprising move by the Rams, considering Hekker’s standing with the team, but perhaps Los Angeles is weighing a change.
Here are five things to know about Bojorquez, who’s now the third punter on the team alongside Hekker and Brandon Wright.
Led the NFL in yards per punt last year (50.8), tied for 4th-best in league history
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Bojorquez had a tremendous 2020 season in terms of punt distance, averaging a booming 50.8 yards per punt. That was No. 1 in the NFL and is tied for fourth-best in league history with Shane Lechler from 2011. He racked up a total of 2,082 yards on 41 punts, though only 18 of them were downed inside the 20-yard line and seven went for touchbacks. Distance control was at times an issue for him in 2020.
He’s from the Los Angeles area
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Bojorquez was born in Bellflower, Calif., and attended Mayfair High School in Lakewood. This is a homecoming for the 24-year-old punter after spending three years on the East Coast with the Bills, getting the chance to play right in the backyard of where he grew up.
Went to junior college before transferring to New Mexico
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Bojorquez didn’t go the traditional route of landing with an FBS program out of high school. He first attended Cerritos College before transferring to New Mexico and handling punting duties there for two years (2016-2017). At New Mexico, he averaged 45.1 yards per punt, kicking it 116 times for 5,237 yards.
His longest punt is 72 yards
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In addition to leading the league with an average of 50.8 yards per punt last season, he was also tops in the NFL with a long of 72 yards. Kevin Huber also had a 72-yarder, while Riley Dixon and Jake Bailey had punts of 71 yards each. Hekker’s long of 2020 was 63 yards, which is still a booming punt by just about every measure.
Signed with Patriots in 2018 but was waived before Week 1
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Bojorquez originally landed in the NFL with the Patriots, signing with them as an undrafted rookie in 2018. But after battling Ryan Allen in camp that year, the Patriots waived Bojorquez before Week 1 as part of their final cuts. He was quickly scooped up by the Bills off waivers, and he wound up playing eight games for them as a rookie, averaging 45.1 yards per punt with a long of 60 yards.
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