Kickers to reconnect and, um, Groin Gate

Due to the nature of their position, many NFL placekickers share a certain bond.

And given that the 49ers Joe Nedney, 37, and Carolina’s John Kasay, 40, have a combined 35 years of NFL experience, it’s not surprising their relationship is more unique than most.

In 2000, Kasay suffered a horrific injury during a training-camp practice when he broke his left kneecap. The bone in kicking knee, which ACL surgery had been performed on eight months earlier, nearly broke in half.


As a result, Nedney, then in his fifth season, replaced Kasay for 12 games in 2000 and got an up-close look at Kasay’s recovery.

“I watched him rehab and come back and become the exact same kicker that
he was before,” said Nedney, who will reconnect with Kasay when the
Niners meet the Panthers on Sunday. “To have a major injury to your
kicking knee like that, I mean, I think his knee cap snapped in two. For
him to come back and still be the same guy was really motivational for
me.”

Nedney drew on that motivation a few years later.

In 2003, playing with the Titans, he tore his ACL in the season opener
and missed the rest of the season. He returned with Tennessee in 2004 only to tear his
hamstring in practice, wiping out the entire regular season.

Two years. One game. Two serious injuries.

“John was kind of my inspiration,” Nedney said. “I thought ‘If this guy can come back from his series of injuries, so can I.'”

And Nedney has since signing with the Niners in 2005 on the heels of his injury marred seasons.

Despite their advancing ages, Nedney and Kasay, who ranks eighth in NFL
history with 1,751 points, still have plenty of leg. Nedney has made six
of his last eight attempts from 50-plus yards since turning 35. Kasay,
who is tied with Brett Favre as the NFL’s longest-tenured player (20
seasons), has drilled a 53-yarder this season.

Nedney will seek out Kasay before the game Sunday. And it may not even
be the last time they meet during their careers. They don’t exactly appear to be slowing. From 2005-09, Nedney
made 86.8 percent of kicks, the second-best in the NFL during that span,
while Kasay connected on 84.3 percent.

“The thing about when you get into our positions, teams aren’t willing
to take a chance sometimes on a young guy because you’re not sure when
you put him in pressure situation what you’re going to get,” Nedney
said. “So when you’ve got a proven commodity in guys like John or myself
then we become a little bit more of an asset.”

• It sure looked like Chiefs defensive linemen Shaun Smith grabbed
rookie right tackle Anthony Davis’ groin during Kansas City’s 31-10
victory over the Niners in Week 3.

Upon further review, however, the NFL evidently has ruled Smith got a hold of Davis’, um, thigh?

The NFL has rescinded the $10,000 fine it initially slapped on Smith,
saying video of the incident was inconclusive. Smith had appealed the
penalty. For his part, Davis didn’t seem upset today that Smith didn’t
take it in the pocketbook for grabbing his groin. Allegedly.

“You just run into people like that sometimes,” Davis said. “But I’m not
mad at him. You can’t blame him. He doesn’t know any better.”

Said Smith to the Kansas City Star, “I fought the case, and I’m happy.
But (it doesn’t erase) all the bashing of my name and all that stuff. I
have kids and my kids looked at it.”

What’s the big deal, Shaun? You little ones just saw a video of you grabbing another man’s … thigh?

• Rutgers junior defensive lineman Eric LeGrand, a former college
teammate of Davis’, was paralyzed from the neck down after making a
tackle on special teams against Army on Saturday. The Newark Star-Ledger
reported Thursday that LeGrand has not regained any movement below the
neck.

Davis, who blocked against LeGrand during practice in college, said he
will contribute to a fund Rutgers has established for his former
teammate.

• CB Nate Clements is questionable for Sunday’s game with what is being
officially termed an ankle injury. Asked if it was an ankle injury
today, Mike Singletary said, “Yes and no. It’s around that area.”
Clements practiced today on a limited basis. If he can’t play, it’s
expected that Will James will start in his place.

• TE Delanie Walker appears to be making better progress than expected
from the high ankle sprain he suffered against the Falcons on Oct. 3.
Walker, who practiced on a limited basis today, is questionable for
Sunday’s game. Singletary had expected him to be doubtful earlier in the
week.

• C Eric Heitmann is out after reaggravating a neck injury last week in
practice. Heitmann suffered the injury during training camp. Matt
Maiocco of CSN Bay Area has reported that Heitmann will miss a minimum
of four weeks. Singletary termed the injury a “week-to-week situation.”

• DT Justin Smith (hand), LB Parys Haralson (calf), WR Josh Morgan (thigh), LB Manny
Lawson (rib) and TE Vernon Davis (knee) are probable. They all practiced in
full today.

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