Brayden Narveson Two-Stepped His Way to Packers

In hopes of becoming more consistent, Brayden Narveson retooled his footwork. The change led to Narveson becoming the Packers’ kicker for Week 1 against the Eagles.

Packers kicker Brayden Narveson / Packers On SI

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Brayden Narveson took the right steps to become the Green Bay Packers’ kicker.

Literally.

After making all 196 extra points and 79.3 percent of his field-goal attempts in a total of four seasons at Western Kentucky and North Carolina State, Narveson knew he had to become even more accurate to make it in the NFL.

So, he changed his footwork, scrapping a jab step and becoming a two-step kicker.

“Just to be more consistent,” Narveson said this week. “I was looking at a bunch of different things that I did really well and a bunch of different things that other people did really well.

“At my position and golfers and everything, you’re naïve if you’re not looking at other people and what they do well and why they are good and what they do well. So, I found a couple of different things that I felt like could potentially benefit me and changed them and I’m not looking back.”

According to Narveson’s longtime kicking coach, Adam Tanalski of Hammer Kicking, there are 12 two-step kickers in the NFL. The Chiefs’ three-time Super Bowl-champion kicker, Harrison Butker, is the best of the bunch.

“We looked at where the misses were, and misses happened when he was getting long and with some inconsistency in the jab,” Tanalski said. “So, he said, ‘Hey, man, I’m strong enough that I don’t need the jab.’”

With the help of another esteemed kicking coach, Gary Zauner, Narveson changed his footwork in hopes of improving his accuracy.

The payoff came when Narveson booted a 59-yard field goal for the Titans against the Seahawks in the preseason.

“The ball stays true off his foot,” Tanalski said. “If you’re watching that kick, you would think that ball would go left. The Seahawks, they wave it off like it’s going to be no good, but the ball stays right inside the left pole.

“What that two-step has made happen is it stays straight off his foot, and there’s really no draw, there’s really don’t fade and, if anything, you maybe see 3- to 5-foot movement (to the) right. The ball stayed straight off his foot. So, the two-step was really to promote even more consistency. He’s been consistent his whole career because of his ball striking, and it just made him get to the same plant spot every single time.”

Even with the 59-yarder and a 46-yard game-winner during the fourth quarter against the Seahawks, Narveson lost out to veteran Nick Folk. The Packers claimed him off waivers the next day.

“It’s been great,” Narveson said after Tuesday’s practice, the final one in Green Bay before the team flew to Brazil. “Love everything about it. It’s been a dream.”

Narveson made a game-winner in college and one in the preseason. Now, he has to deliver in the NFL. The Packers liked Narveson enough to choose him over last year’s kicker, Anders Carlson, and veteran Greg Joseph. But he’ll have a “short leash,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said, meaning every kick will come with pressure.

Narveson said he’s nervous on “every” kick.

“You’re always going to be nervous but it’s a good nervous,” he continued. “You’ve prepared, you’ve put the preparation in on the front end, so you can be nervous. That just means you care. There’s butterflies always but, at the end of the day, you’re going to go out there and execute because you’ve prepared and you know and your body’s going to take over.”

Narveson “absolutely” wants the clutch kicks. So, how about a game-winner on Friday night in Sao Paulo?

“I think that’s my favorite part about being a kicker is the game is in your hands at some point in time, and I love that. There’s no others position besides maybe the quarterback that gets to feel that way, and you just got to embrace it. If you don’t want the game in your hands, then you’re in the wrong position.”

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