Did you know that Mike Nugent was signed by the Tampa Bay Bucs? I'm a little embarressed to say that I didn't find out until I was reading Erik Bolands column in Newsday while I had some cookies and milk at quarter to one in the AM ( Yes, I do live life in the fast lane).
According to our buddy Boland, the Jets made little to no attempt to sign Nugent. And why would they? The guy was maddingly inconsistant and missed an entire season because he sliped on infield dirt in Miami.
But I think what's most interesting about the uncerimonious end to Nugents Jet career is the historical question it brings up: Forget Johnny Lam Jones, Freeman McNeil, and Roger Vick. Might Mike Nugent be among the two or three worst draft picks in Jet history? I say yes.
"The Nuge" (as my buddy dubbed him shortly after draft day) was selected in the second round out of Ohio State in 2005. If that wasn't startling enough, the selection was essentially a first round pick because it was the first selection the Jets had in that year's draft. Why draft a kicker on the first day of the draft, much less the second round?, we all thought. But like almost every other draft in almost every other year, the Jets thought they could outsmart the league. And who could doubt them? After all, The Jets are an organazation that is defined on logic and sound decision making.
The Jets were coming off a season where kicking had been a big issue for them. In fact, the Jets had not had a solid kicker since the early days of the John Hall era. Nugent was supposed to be the kicker to end all kickers. Yes, kickers are seldom worth first day draft picks, but Mike Nugent was a guy who would make Jet fans forget that missing field goals was even possible. At Ohio State, the Buckeye with the golden toe broke or tied twenty two school records, including most points by any player at the school. He was an all-american and took home the Lou Groza award in 2004 (top kicker in the nation) Nugent was also the first kicker in Buckeye history to earn most valuble player honors. Was their a bigger slam dunk for the Jets than Mike Nugent?
Unfortunally, like many Jet picks from yesteryear, Nugents success did not translate to the pros. To say he was average at best would be an understatment. He was pretty solid from 35 yards and out, but was inconsistant from 34 yards and in. Certainly not worthy of a second round selection. Still on the board at that point in the draft was Justin Tuck and Frank Gore. Both those players would have been better selections then the Ohio State kicker. Gore would have been especially perfect. It was clear that Curtis Martin's career was nearly finished. Nugent is more proof that drafting a kicker on day one of the draft, if at all, is a bad idea.
So into the sunset goes Mike Nugent. So much promise, so much hope. But it the end, just another dud of a Jet draft pick.
Jordan Lauterbach
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