The Gridiron Warrior Podcast | "From Cancer Survivor to NFL Punter" with Nolan Cooney

In this episode, I sit down with Nolan Cooney, a former NFL punter for the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints. Nolan has one of the most unique journeys to the league you will ever hear—he didn't kick a single football in high school. Instead, he was a three-sport athlete (soccer, basketball, baseball) who battled and survived testicular cancer during his junior year. 

We dive into how he went from a novice at a post-grad prep school to an NFL starter, and more importantly, how coaches should be managing their specialists. Nolan breaks down the biggest mistakes high school coaches make (like sending kickers to the side field with no plan), how to structure a kicking week to maximize freshness for game day, and why young kickers need to "train like athletes" in the weight room rather than specializing too early. 

If you have a kicker on your roster and don't know what to do with them during practice, this episode is the blueprint. 

👇 Timestamps

00:00 – Intro: Train Heroic & Plyomat 03:17 – Nolan Cooney: From Cancer Survivor to the NFL 05:54 – The "Gap Year": Learning to kick at Bridgton Academy 09:24 – NFL Practice Reality: Every rep is a Super Bowl 12:00 – Why the kicking position is so under-coached 15:40 – How to structure a Kicker’s practice week (HS vs. College) 18:43 – Managing reps: Using specialists for scout team & situations 21:54 – Drills for downtime: Bad snaps and Jugs machine work 25:00 – Strength & Conditioning: Why kickers must train like athletes 29:30 – The Mental Game: "One thought" and handling pressure 34:20 – Where to find Nolan Cooney 35:28 – Join the Gridiron Warrior Insiders 

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