4th Down Focus

Episode 23 welcomes Matt Wright, former UCF kicker and current Detroit Lions kicker!

Wright, a native of Lancaster, PA, was touted the No. 46 specialist in the nation by ESPN out of high school. He would choose to play football for the University of Central Florida and go on to have one of the best careers in the school's history.

Wright's honors at UCF:

• Most points in a career with 375

• Most career field goals made with 55

• 212 PATs, a program record, including 153 PATs in a row (another school record)

• Connected on 55/71 field goals, making 75% career attempts (tied for the all-time record at UCF)

• Named Order of Pegasus; most prestigious award at UCF, recognizing exemplary performance in academics, university involvement, leadership, and community service

After UCF, Wright signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an un-drafted free agent following the 2019 NFL Draft. He was waived in final cuts before being selected by the Tampa Bay Vipers in Phase 5 of the 2020 XFL Draft. He would be released by Tampa during training camp but would re-sign with the Steelers in November, 2020.

This season, Wright was elevated to Pittsburgh’s active roster for Weeks 13, 16, and 17. He finished the season making all 4 of his FG attempts and all 7 extra point attempts. His practice squad contract with the Steelers expired on January 18, 2021, but 4 days later the Detroit Lions signed Wright to a futures contract . Currently, Wright is preparing for the 2021 season in hopes to make the Lion’s 53 man roster.

In this episode, Wright and Dan Lundy discuss a variety of subjects from handling adversity, time management, training advice, and the expectations of kicking in the NFL.

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Episode 22 welcomes Coach Marc Deas, head football coach of the Feltrim Sports Academy. A native to central Florida, Deas was a standout safety for Kissimmee Osceola HS, where he caught the attention of several college football programs before committing to the University of Georgia.

After earning his degree in communications, Deas began his coaching career as an assistant coach for his alma mater, the Kissimmee Osceola Kowboys. He would go on to hold various high school coaching positions, being promoted from a wide receiver coach to defensive coordinator, and eventually being named the head coach of Tohopekaliga High School in2019. Deas was honored as the 2019-2020 Osceola County Coach of the Year after sending 5 players to college in 2020 in only his second year with the program.

In December 2020, Deas agreed to terms with Feltrim Academy to be the next head coach of the football program. Deas is responsible for the start-up of the post-graduate football program which will begin training in July, 2021 in Haines City, FL.

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Episode 21 of the podcast welcomes Travis Roland, current head coach for Flagler Palm Coast. Roland played for Mainland High School, serving as captain and leading the team to its only football state championship in school history.

Roland continued his football career at Bethune-Cookman University and his play earned him 1st Team All-MEAC honors his senior season.

After college Roland spent time in the Arena Football League before beginning his coaching career at Seabreeze High School. A few years later Roland accepted the defensive coordinator position at his alma mater, Mainland High School. During his time at Mainland, the team went 58-10, shutting out 19 opponents and ending the season ranked 14th in the United States in the MaxPreps Super 25 poll. In 2016, Roland accepted his first head coaching position at Flagler Palm Coast, where he's changing the culture one day at a time.

In this episode Coach Lundy and Coach Roland discuss establishing a team’s culture, what unsigned athletes should be doing after National Signing Day, and how special teams has impacted each of their careers.

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Episode 20 features Matt Beardall, current NFL free agent and former long snapper for Marshall University! In his senior season he was selected an All-State Honorable Mention. This caught the attention of Marshall University, where Beardall would eventually commit and have one of the best long snapping careers in Thundering Herd history.

Beardall's highlights at Marshall:

- 48 consecutive starts

- 2x C-USA All-Conference 1st Team (2018, 2019 seasons)

- Member of the C-USA All-Freshman Team (awarded to 5 specialists in the conference)

Matt Beardall sits down with Coach Lundy to discuss Beardall's background in baseball and lacrosse as a young athlete, and how they helped to develop his body for snapping.

Beardall is one of the most decorated long snappers in Marshall history, but how he got his first start for the Thundering Herd may surprise you. Beardall shares technical advice, and his process of compartmentalizing different components of the snap (footwork, hands, weight distribution, etc) to ensure he is is best on game day.

The life of a free agent is a full time job. Off the field (weight room, film, treatment, etc.) is equally as important and requires more time than on field training. Beardall breaks down a typical week and how he balances this.

Learn who Beardall credits for his high school long snapping exposure and how he got the interest of college coaches. He shares his opinion on training, exposure camps, university camps, etc., and how much the specialist industry has evolved in the last 5 years. This, and so much more, on Episode 20 of 4th Down Focus!

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Mac Loudermilk is a current NFL free agent and former punter for the University of Central Florida. In 2018, Loudermilk was named college football's 'Most Interesting Man.'

Loudermilk, a native of Valdosta, GA, played both quarterback and punter at Valdosta High School. ESPN rated Loudermilk a 3 star punter and the #41 specialist in the nation. He was also ranked the No. 56 dual-threat quarterback by 247Sports and named the 2013 All-Region 1-6A Georgia Special Teams Player of the Year!

After his time at Valdosta High Loudermilk took his talents to the UCF Knights, where he had a legendary career. Loudermilk's career highlights at UCF:

• Named the 2018 Peter Mortell National CFB Holder of the Year Award
• 2018: 47 punts for 2,042 yds w/ a 43.4 punting average; 8th best single season average in CFB history
• 2017: Dropped 19/41 punts inside the 20 yard line in a season; forced 23 fair catches w/ a 39.5 yard average, not hitting a touchback once all year
• Named to the 2016-17 American All-Academic Team

In Episode 19, Coach Lundy sits down with Mac Loudermilk to discuss the life of an NFL free agent punter and his journey leading up to this point. Loudermilk shares his development through youth sports, and which he believes are the best for strengthening core muscle groups needed for punting.

After a stellar high school career Loudermilk accepted an offer from UCF. Learn what helped him make the transition from a backup freshman punter to one of the best in the University of Central Florida’s history.

Loudermilk addresses the ups and downs of being a free agent and the mindset needed to endure. He shares his current weekly training schedule, breaking it down day to day, involving himself in the following activities: field work, weight training, film study, treatment, and recovery.

Learn what Mac Loudermilk means by 'being certain of the uncertain' in this episode of 4th Down Focus!

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Episode 18 of the podcast welcomes Nick DiCairano, current NFL free agent and former All-American kicker for Endicott College!

DiCairano, a Connecticut native, didn’t begin kicking until his senior year in high school. Although he didn’t have much time, Nick caught the attention of Pace University, where he played 2 seasons before transferring to Endicott University. In 2019, his final season at Endicott, DiCairano earned the following honors:

2019 Dream Bowl Special Teams MVP

2019 National Bowl College All-Star Game Special Teams MVP

2019 NEFW All-New England Team (Kicker)

2019 CCC Football All-Conference 1st Team (Kicker)

2019 D3Football.com Preseason All-America 1st Team (Kicker)

In this episode, Coach Lundy talks to Nick DiCairano about his unique journey of becoming a kicker in the NFL. Learn what sport helped prepare him for football, his experience as a college transfer, his mindset and why it's essential to becoming a successful kicker, dealing with injuries, the pandemic, dealing with setbacks, and the importance of intrinsic motivation.

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Swanson, a Tampa, FL native, made his name in high school as a left-footed punter for the IMG Academy. He was ranked among the best punters in the nation by Prep Star, Rivals.com, 247Sports, and ESPN.com, eventually committing to Clemson in March, 2018.

During his time at Clemson, Swanson has proven to be a versatile specialist, serving as the punter, place kicker, kickoff specialist, and holder for the Tigers.

In Episode 17, Swanson shares the youth sports that helped prepare him to be a college football specialist, a typical week in the offseason for a Clemson football player, dealing with expectations and the competitive culture of major FBS football, and how his faith and mindset have helped him throughout his career.

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Episode 16 of the podcast welcomes Cincinnati Bengals kicker, Austin Seibert. A native of Belleville, Illinois, Seibert attended Belleville West HS. His ability to both kick and punt at a high level caught the attention of the Oklahoma Sooners, where committed and began his record breaking career.

Seibert’s highlights at Oklahoma: 499 career points (most by a kicker in FBS history), 2018 Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year, 2018 First Team All Big 12 Kicker, and a 41.7 yd. career punting average (5th best ever at Oklahoma).

In 2019, the Cleveland Browns selected Seibert in the 5th round of the NFL Draft. In the same year he was named to the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team.

In 2020, he was acquired by the Cincinnati Bengals, where he served as the starting kicker and kickoff specialist this season.

In this episode, Seibert and Coach Dan Lundy discuss the the life of an NFL kicker. In-season practice planning, game day process, sideline behavior, and developing a personalized pre-snap FG routine are some of the many topics covered. Learn how Seibert uses these strategies to maintain a winning mindset while playing in a turbulent and competitive NFL climate.

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Kendall Gammon, the first long snapper invited to the NFL combine, discusses vulnerability and uses authentic storytelling to inspire individuals to use emotional strengths to embrace change, build stronger relationships, and positively impact their own growth and success.

A Kansas native, Gammon attended Division II Pittsburg State University where he was a captain for the 1991 National Champion Gorillas. During a 15 year NFL career (4 years each with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints and 7 years with the Kansas City Chiefs) Kendall played in the 1995 Super Bowl and a 2005 Pro Bowl.

Today, Gammon is recognized for his time as color analyst for the Chiefs Radio Network Broadcast team. Kendall’s challenging life experiences combined with his NFL achievements have created opportunities for him to share his story and help, even save, others. What started as storytelling among friends and colleagues quickly turned into on-stage keynote speeches through which Kendall influences thousands of lives. For more information, visit www.KendallGammon.com.

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The show welcomes Coach DJ Wingate. In 2010, Wingate began his coaching career as a student assistant for the Marshall University. From 2011-2013 he earned a graduate assistant position at the University of South Florida, and from 2013-2015 he served as the secondary coach for Davidson College.

In 2015, Wingate would receive his first professional coaching opportunity for the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, coaching linebackers for 2 seasons. He would use his experience in Toronto to accept an offer from the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos, where he is currently the assistant to the HC and a defensive assistant.

During his frequent coaching career moves, Wingate also founded Koach|Enterprise, a program that offers coaches and players support in analytics, field work, recruiting advisement, academic enrichment, and mentorship.

Wingate shares the importance of analytics, and how it is such a large component of his coaching success, the importance of coaches coaching the "why," the value in holding players accountable, and why teams with positive player and coach relationships succeed.

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