Nate Kaeding
- San Diego Chargers (since 2004)
- 2 × Pro Bowl selection ( 2007, 2009 )
- 1 × All-Pro selection ( 2006)
- Lou Groza Award ( 2002)
James Nathaniel " Nate " Kaeding ( born March 26, 1982 in Iowa City, Iowa, United States), nicknamed Kato, Mr. Automatic or Big Game Nate is a US- American football player at the position of the kicker. He plays for the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League ( NFL).
Playing career
College career
Nate Kaeding was born the son of Larry and Terry Kaeding in Iowa City, where he attended high school. At school he played alongside American football basketball and football. After finishing school he studied at the University of Iowa. In 2001 he played with the Iowa Hawkeyes, the football team of the University of Iowa, in the Alamo Bowl against the Texas Tech University. The team from Iowa won the game with 19:16 of the game due to four field goals by Kaeding. 2003 played his team in the Orange Bowl against the University of Southern California. The game was lost with 38:17. Kaeding scoring a field goal.
Professional career
Kaeding was selected in 2004 by the San Diego Chargers in the third round to 65th place of the NFL Draft. Originally, the New York Giants would have been the team that a player had at that time the Draft can undertake. In order to take quarterback Eli Manning under contract as it had intended the Giants, they had to come to an agreement with the Chargers. The Chargers, who had the first Zugiffsrecht in the draft, Eli Manning pulled in the first round in the first place and gave him away to the Giants. In return, the Giants gave them solid fourth quarterback Philip Rivers, together with the Draft Law of the Giants in the third round from the Chargers. This took the opportunity Kaeding in the third round of the draft to loyalty. This Kaeding was committed earlier than normal common for a kicker.
Kaeding justified the confidence which sat the team from San Diego in him. By the end of 2010 he was able to turn 86.5 % of his field goals. From 2005 to 2008 he transformed all points after touchdown (PAT ).
2004 won 12 of their 16 games, the Chargers. They failed in the play- offs, however, in the first round to the New York Jets. With the defeat 20:17 Kaeding field goals achieved.
In 2006, the Chargers have won 14 of 16 games. Again, they did not succeed the way into the Super Bowl, they failed at the New England Patriots. Kaeding missed at 24:21 defeat a field goal.
In 2007, Kaeding broke in a tackle in a game against the Denver Broncos a leg. He still played the season to end. The Chargers moved in 2007 after one season with eleven wins in the AFC Championship game a, subject to there but the Patriots with 21:12. Kaeding converted four field goals in this game.
Although the Chargers completed the regular season in 2008 with a balanced game, they moved into the play -offs. There they were denied by the later Super Bowl winner Pittsburgh Steelers with 35:24. Kaeding scored a field goal for the temporary management of the Chargers of 10:7.
Honors
Nate Kaeding won the 2002 Lou Groza Award for the best college football of the year. In 2006 he was elected to the All- Pro. In 2007 and 2009 he played in the Pro Bowl, the final game of the best players of the season.
Off the pitch
Kaeding is married and has two sons. Kaeding is an avid cyclist and is involved in an association that aims to improve safety for cyclists on the road. The family of Kaeding has founded with his support, an organization that promotes amateur sports, was founded. The organization must establish annually from a golf tournament. Kaeding has established with the punter Mike Scifres the Chargers an organization that supports a board in which families can live cheaply with sick children, while the children are being treated in a hospital.