SANTA CLARA – Billy Cundiff made 10-of-12 field goals in Thursday’s kicker competition. He made a 55-yarder with a portable plastic holder.
Cundiff spoke at his new 49ers’ locker after practice, and here’s what he said.
Q: Do you know David Akers?
CUNDIFF: Yeah we went to the Pro Bowl together in 2010. We’ve worked with the same kicking coach, Randy Brown. I’ve kicked David in the offseason. We’ve texted back and forth.
Q: Is this competition awkward?
CUNDIFF: That’s a funny question. If you try to get in our shoes, then you’ll understand the business a little bit. It’s about performance. This time of the year, I’m just lucky to have the opportunity to put my best performance out there and see if it’s good enough.
Q: But is it awkward at all?
CUNDIFF: I don’t think it is. You just accept it as part of the business. It’s just about performance. When you put it on those terms, it takes all of the awkwardness out of it. It’s a performance business.
Q: How would you rate your performance in five games for the Redskins this season?
CUNDIFF: I didn’t really think it was that great to be honest. I missed a 62-yarder and 57-yarder. If you wipe those off, it’s a 70 percent which is pretty average. But I missed two short field goals and when you’re playing in Washington, that’s enough to get you gone.
Q: How many times did you and David kick in front of the team today.
CUNDIFF: Five, I think.
Q: How did it go?
CUNDIFF: Not bad. I think I’m getting the hang of this thing.
Q: Is it difficult for Andy Lee to hold for a lefty kicker and a righty kicker?
CUNDIFF: He told me he learned holding for a right-footed kicker.
Q: You have a chance to kick for a playoff team. How much does redemption for your missed field goal in the championship game last year play into your mind in wanting to erase that?
CUNDIFF: I think that anyone who plays in the playoffs and doesn’t have the performance they’d like wants another opportunity. For me, I moved on right after it happened. In order to have success in this league, you have to wipe the slate clean every year. You can’t drag things in, whether it’s positive or negative, because it’s a new year. Would I like to have that kick back? Yeah, I most definitely would. But is it going to affect the way I think about this year’s playoffs? Absolutely not.
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