Stephen Gostkowski

The four-year starter is a very accurate field goal specialist inside the 40-yard line, and added kickoff duties to his resume in 2005. He finished his career ranked thirteenth in NCAA Division 1-A history with 369 points and fourteenth with 70 field goals made. A fine all-around athlete, he also competed on the Tigers' baseball team. Gostkowski lettered for four years in football and soccer and three years in baseball at Madison Central High. He earned All-State honors in all the three sports. Gostkowski compiled an 8-2 record with a 1.40 ERA during his senior season and had a batting average of .395 with three home runs and 25 RBI. He completed his prep baseball career with a 16-2 record and a 1.00 ERA, leading Madison Central to the 2002 Mississippi state championship. He also holds the school record for the longest field goal at 55 yards. Gostkowski came to Memphis as a baseball signee, but earned a football scholarship in 2002 fall camp. He was the only player in Conference USA to be named to the All-Freshman Team in both football and baseball in 2002-03. He scored 59 points while connecting on 9 of 14 field goals and 32 of 37 extra points for the football team in 2002, and compiled a record of 4-4 with a 4.32 ERA in 61.2 innings pitched for the baseball team. Gostkowski connected on 19 of 29 field goals and all 44 extra point attempts, finishing with 101 points in 2003. In fourteen appearances with the 2004 baseball team, he finished the year 1-5 with a 6.66 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 48.2 innings. Gostkowski was selected All-Conference USA first-team in football in 2004. He saw his consecutive extra-point string snapped at 88, but was successful on 48 of 49 extra points and 20 of 24 field goals for a career-high 108 points. After the season, he pitched for the 2005 Tigers' baseball team, compiling a 1-8 record and a 7.36 ERA. He led the team in innings pitched (80.2), strikeouts (41) and starts (13). Gostkowski was named Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year in 2005. He scored 101 points on 22 of 25 field-goal attempts and made all 35 extra-point attempts. He also handled kickoff duties, as 39 of his 68 attempts resulted in touchbacks. He finished his career ranked thirteenth in NCAA Division 1-A history with a school career-record 369 points. He set more Memphis records by connecting on 70 of 92 field goals and 159 of 165 extra points.

positives

Has a good frame with adequate chest and arm muscle definition, good bubble and thick calves...Has adequate leg strength with good hang time and distance on his kickoffs...Explodes into the ball, demonstrating proper leg extension...Two-and-a-half step kicker with an average snap-to-toe time of 1.4 seconds on field goals and PATs...Gets the ball off with good rise and trajectory...Allows the coverage team to get downfield on his kickoffs, averaging 4.02 seconds in hang time...Has the leg strength to put his kickoffs into the end zone from the 30-yard line...Thrives on pressure and likes it when he is counted on with the game on the line.

negatives

Gets the ball off decently, but is a bit deliberate in his approach...Has not had the benefit of spring ball, as he splits his time between baseball and football...Good athlete with enough quickness, but seems reluctant to get down field to lend support on the coverage unit...Has a consistent leg, but his field goals tend to sail wide at times when kicking from the outside hashes...Has problems kicking into the wind and needs to learn how to keep his kicks lower when playing in poor weather conditions.

gostkowski has shown much better consistency and leg drive during his last two seasons. he is more capable as a field goal specialist than on kickoffs, but has enough leg strength to get the ball near the goal line. he demonstrates good hang time and trajectory on his kickoff,s and is extremely accurate on short-to-intermediate field goals.

Gostkowski is a two-and-one half step kicker who gets the ball off decently, but is a bit deliberate in his approach. He does explode into the ball and gets good leg extension, showing an average time of 1.4 seconds on his snap-to-toe mechanics. His kickoffs get enough height to allow the kickoff coverage team to get down field to cover, averaging 4.02 seconds in hang time.

No injuries reported.

Campus: 4.87 seconds in the 40-yard dash

31-inch arm length

9 1/8-inch hands.

Attended Madison (Miss.) Central High School

Lettered for four years in football and soccer and three years in baseball at Madison Central High

Earned All-State honors in all of the three sports

Compiled an 8-2 record with a 1.40 ERA during his senior season and had a batting average of .395 with three home runs and 25 RBI, playing for head coach Greg Perry

Completed his prep baseball career with a 16-2 record and a 1.00 ERA, leading Madison Central to the 2002 Mississippi state championship

Also holds the school record for the longest field goal at 55 yards.

Pre-Physical Therapy major

Son of Cindy and Larry Gostkowski

Born Stephen Carroll Gostkowski on 1/28/84 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Resides in Madison, Mississippi.