Chad Ochocinco, Kicker? Receiver Wants To Kick At Pro Bowl
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CINCINNATI — Chad Ochocinco hopes to show a Pro Bowl audience that he can kick it as well as catch it. The Bengals receiver made some kickoffs Thursday during practice for the Pro Bowl in Miami, hoping to convince the coaches that he's capable of going toe-to-toe. He showed off his punting skills during warmups a day earlier.
Ochocinco told The Associated Press in a phone interview after practice that he's also planning to kick field goals during practice this week. He wants to persuade AFC coaches that he could be more than a just receiver during the game on Sunday.
"Yesterday was punting, today was kickoffs, tomorrow will be field goals," Ochocinco said of his lobbying effort. "I don't know. We'll see what happens."
If the coaches want more proof, he's got the tape.
The six-time Pro Bowl receiver is an international soccer fan and practices kicking. He had never done it during a game until last August, when Bengals kicker Shayne Graham was bothered by a sore groin in practice before a preseason game against New England in Foxborough.
Ochocinco kicked an extra point and had a deep kickoff as Graham's replacement, providing the winning point in Cincinnati's 7-6 victory. Afterward, he referred to himself as "Esteban Ochocinco, the most interesting footballer in the world."
He'd like to do it again on the all-star stage.
"It shouldn't be a problem," he said. "If they're going to let me do it, I'm going to do it early in the game before they get serious and they start to play for real."
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JOE KAY 01/28/10 04:39 PM ET Associated Press