LIVE: Evan McPherson speaks to the media

okay excited to uh introduce and congratulate Evan on his new deal it's welld deserved from his first game in this league uh he's had a tremendous impact on this club on this city and and so really proud that this day has come uh where he rightfully gets his extension we've got a lot of trust in him you know a lot of my gut as games come to a close I've got tremendous faith in Evan and as you can see from uh the moments we've relied on him to close out games for us for opportunities within games from long range he's got the leg he's got the confidence he's got the ability and uh he's only going to continue to get better and better I truly believe his best days are are ahead even though we've already had some best days also so um I'll leave you guys to Evan here and and again congratulations to him thank you yeah um I had a good feeling that uh eventually something was going to get done um it was trending that way uh but like I said last week I was like if it didn't get done I was kind of at peace with it anyways but uh I knew where it was trending and I'm just excited that it's finished it's done now and we can just kind of relax and go have fun I mean I was excited I think a lot of people will be excited to find out um that you have some stability um and just some comfort in knowing where you're going to be uh for the foreseeable future and yeah it just gives you know myself and I guess some guys like some certain level of confidence just rolling into the season knowing that you know this is where I'm going to be um so we're just going to have fun and um just win games yeah I I think I expressed um I mean even outside of the the stadium like we have created such a good Community through through church uh through friends that we've just met at restaurants you know here and there um but it's just a great City to be a part of um and to be in um like I said I've got a lot of friends outside of the state outside of the stadium outside of the team and so just that we're going to be here and get to enjoy those people um is really exciting uh I think it's just as kickers you know um I mean as football players our time limited and so I think you just have the opportunity to hit your next contract at an earlier age um and so just trying to to get as many in as possible yeah no some people do say it might have been because of the rookie year but um you never know I think kickers are getting better and better in college and high school and developing earlier and so I think it's a trend of people being more prepared uh coming out of college and maybe I think in the NFL now people kickers are become more consistent longer range and so I think people are put more of an importance on kickers now yeah I mean I yeah I think we've seen right I mean Cowboys Brandon Aubrey this past week hit a 66 like it's nothing uh I I firmly believe now like if we attempt a field goal on our side of the field I feel like we're expected to make it and that's not how it's always been you know usually with the 50 plus yarders um you kind of go out there Free Will and if you make it you make it if you don't nobody expected you to make it so or not expected you to make it but kind of brush it off but um now it's kind of seeming like if it's anything inside 65 yards we're almost expected to make it and I mean rightfully so I think everybody's getting a lot better and I think the range is going to keep going I did I hit like a 68 y training with a live operation um in like July so I don't think that's out of the question with perfect conditions I think so I don't think it's out of the question yeah yeah I don't I mean it's just we talk about it here is like every point is important in the playoffs uh no matter how you get it you you want to make sure you get every Point possible and so I feel like for the playoffs maybe towards the couple last weeks of the regular season you're kind of worn down tired long season but when playoffs come around you get a new fire I feel like and so you're excited uh for those games here we go and um I don't know it's just a little bit of a different feeling for playoffs because it's it's right win or go home and so we're out there just probably Ultra Focus for those games yeah I would love to I would love to attempt it we've had a couple opportunities I think in the preseason um that we passed up on but I know I think the one that I could have had the the Bucks game we ended up getting a first down s with the 58 and then the other one I think it was like fourth and one in the last game where it was like a 63 y or something um but no I would love to attempt one just kind of see how it is get out there and wh away at one yeah I I'm big on just not really overthinking the whole holder thing and my my main thing when I get a new holder is just telling them basically just get the ball down uh and if anything lean it to you and a little forward and we'll work it out um but every holder that's come in has done a really good job at really practicing and um kind of adapting to what we what I like to do of course I think every kicker probably dreams of that moment um and shoot I mean know I've seen Adam V's numerous times for sure his I think it's the only Super Bowl to have like a walk-off field goal or like time expire on the field goal and I think you had another one where there was like six seconds left and then obviously Harrison bucker had his last year um so yeah I think it's every kicker's dream to like hit a gamewinner and definitely in Super Bowl yeah um I I mean I give a lot of credit to my family all the time you know they're um the reason I'm here uh they they kept me confident whenever I was down and they kind of just kept me going and my parents got me to all the kicking camps as a uh like in high school and then obviously like my wife all the way through I mean we we started dating when I was 15 she was 13 and so she's been with me ever since I started kicking and just uh grow with her and where we are now and uh she's been really big in that um is coaches wise I mean I've had a lot of great coaches throughout my career um Darren's a really good one he's been good to me um and helped me learn a lot uh and then kicking on the kicking side I mean Jamie Cole is my main kicking coach that I go see like in the off season and so I I credit a lot to him as well with technique side of stuff yeah yep yep no rush no rush I think the op time was like 125 so it it was it was realistic no it was yeah so a bunch of NFL kickers punters longers we all meet up in Gatlinburg with Jamie Cole once a year and that's usually right before training camp starts up and that's where that was we were just competing in live operation and so that 68 yard was to win that certain competition do what you said the reaction it was funny they they posted the video I think two days ago and the one comment that you can hear is that's going on Twitter and so yeah everybody was just that was cool exciting yeah yeah I I I mean sh I'm a firm believer and like kind of Zach said like I feel like I'm getting better with age and just experience and you learn to not maybe overthink things and take things too seriously um and you're just out there I mean kicking a football like I have since I was 13 years old uh nothing's changed with that I think for me um I always work on just consistent ball strikes um not overswinging and like I've said I think in the past couple weeks I'm working on field goal dispersion prob trying to get all my kicks more to the center of the uprights rather than squeaking through um I'd probably say biggest kicks because right I think like Adam minitary Morton Anderson um those two guys I feel like weren't necessarily the longest but they're the most consistent um and I mean with Justin obviously he's the most consistent in NFL history he just so happens to have the longest as well so I think it's coming through in the clutch in those big moments is probably what you remember for the most he was excited he told me congrats uh he was glad that he got done and he's happy that I'm sticking around yeah yeah I mean um that process like I think it was what my rookie year was whenever I did it whenever I wore the whooop band to really actually see what my heart rate was while I was kicking and I got a feel for I guess my heart rate while I was wearing that and so now I can feel it I feel like um whenever I can actually feel my heart beating it's not a good thing and so whenever that happens I just kind of um I think it's a military thing it's like the the breathing box where it's like you inhale for 4 seconds hold for 4 seconds exhale for 4 seconds and then kind of repeat that same cycle and it's supposed to help lower your heart rate and so I kind of just do that and for me in those stressful situations I'm just praying for peace of mind uh Clarity and just going out there with a clear brain clear mind and just doing uh just executing yeah I mean should I still get nervous I think that's just the [Music] whole um range of emotions that go through you before a kick before any kick um I think nerves is definitely one of those things and that's what I said I I just kind of pray for peace and uh a clear mind um but yeah I'd say nerves are definitely something that's normal I feel like yeah yeah yeah I'd say it's every now and then um and it could even be whenever I'm just sitting on the sideline offense is out there and heart's Racing for whatever reason I'm probably overthinking something thinking too much and yeah I I'll throw it out there and get the heart rate slow down a little I can't remember somebody yeah somebody told me about it I watched a video and somebody was talking about it and I was like uh I can't yeah but I can't remember who told me about it but I just remember somebody saying something I was like oh I'll give it a try yeah um not one that comes to mind I mean I have a specific breathing routine for every kick just to make sure that and some people may not even think about it but I breathe I think it's three times before every kick once it whenever I give the spot to the holder another whenever I get to the back of my um steps back and then whenever I get to my steps over that's when I take a look at the uprights take a deep breath in exhale and then I go and so I think that's big for kickers too is just getting a breathing routine and just like slowing the heart rate down I think is the most important thing yeah no not yet sweet yeah thanks guys thank you all thank you [Music] m [Music] m [Music] he [Music] he [Music]