After spending 16 years with the Baltimore Ravens, veteran punter Sam Koch announced his retirement from the NFL.
Koch, 39, played in a franchise-record 256 games. Over the course of his career, he averaged 45.3 yards per punt.
In 2015, Koch earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl. He averaged 46.7 yards per punt that season.
Ravens special teams coach Randy Brown believes Koch changed the game for punters.
“Sam has revolutionized the game of football,” Brown said, via the Ravens’ official website. “He introduced the idea that punters could have different types of punts, as well as have punts designed to place the ball inside the 10-yard line and to keep the ball away from returners – who have become much more dynamic in recent years. As a whole, every punter in the NFL owes Sam Koch a debt of gratitude for being the pioneer of change on how punting is executed in this league.”
To the surprise of no one, Ravens fans are sad to see Koch go.
“End of an era,” one fan tweeted.
“Sam has long been one of my favorite Ravens,” Vanessa Franko tweeted. “Thank you for the punts. And the occasional TD.”
Koch will certainly go down as a legend in Baltimore.
The Ravens may have found their replacement for Koch in the 2022 NFL Draft. They selected Jordan Stout from Penn State in the fourth round.
Stout has large shoes to fill in Baltimore, that’s for sure.