By Kevin Kelly
Enquirer staff writer

Shayne Graham kicks the winning field goal against Miami as Kyle Larson holds the ball. (Michael E. Keating/The Enquirer)

KYLE LARSON

Number: 19 Position: Punter Age: 24 College: Nebraska Height: 6 feet 1 Weight: 204 A look back: Three punters were taken in the 2004 NFL draft, but only Andy Lee of the 49ers has played this season. The Bengals signed their punter, Kyle Larson, as an undrafted college free agent.

The punter's hands have taken a beating the past few months.

Not long ago, during a training camp practice, Bengals special teams coach Darrin Simmons commissioned a ball boy to count the number of snapped footballs Kyle Larson caught.

Final tally: 250.

"One of the great things about Kyle is he works his tail off," Simmons said. "As a specialist coach, that's something you like to have.

"The guy knows the importance of his job and he wants to be good. He's doing the little things it takes to give himself that chance."

The season-ending biceps injury incumbent punter Kyle Richardson suffered in the Bengals' first preseason game thrust Larson into the lineup.

Signed in late April as an un-drafted free agent out of Nebraska, where he was a finalist for the Ray Guy Award last season, Larson is one of only two regularly contributing rookie punters in the NFL this season. Andy Lee of the 49ers, who was taken in the sixth round of the April draft, is the other.

There's a reason for that, Simmons said.

"The maturation process typically takes a year or two for those guys," Simmons said. "It's a tough position for a young guy like that to be put in to. Kyle's responded and he continues to do the things he needs to do."

Larson ranks 24th in the NFL with a 41.2-yard average per punt and 31st with a 32.8-yard net average.

But he is tied for third with nine punts downed inside the 20-yard line.

"That's definitely a result of a lot of practice," said Larson, who had 66 kicks downed inside the 20 while at Nebraska. "But you're not always going to get the bounce or put the ball exactly where you want."

That ability to push an opponent back in its own territory was displayed Sunday in Pittsburgh.

Larson punted six times for a 35.5-yard average against the Steelers.

His four shortest punts landed inside the 20-yard line. The Steelers started those drives at their own 19-yard line twice, 8-yard line and 11-yard line, and scored only one time.

"I'm not a numbers guy whatsoever," Simmons said. "It's how the team performs around him. The players around him feed off what he does. If he gives them a good ball to cover, they've got to cover it."

Larson and Simmons work daily on keeping his steps short and his drops consistent.

His other responsibility is holding for kicker Shayne Graham on extra-point and field goal attempts.

Graham has converted eight of nine field goals and all six extra-point attempts. His 30 points in four games leads the Bengals.

"Most kickers have a way we want the ball held so it fits our foot in the best kicking position," Graham said. "I don't even have to (instruct) Kyle any more. He knows the best way and he's got it down."

Because he never held on kicks in college, Larson has had to learn the technique of holding.

"It's just like punting," Larson said. "You have to catch the ball with your thumbs together at a point. It's small stuff like that. You have to make sure that each and every time you do it is correct."

Bengals coaches began working with Larson on his techniques at the Senior Bowl in January.

Head coach Marvin Lewis and his assistants led the North squad for which Larson played.

"I wish people knew where this guy started from and where he is now. He's made great leaps," Simmons said. "When we had him at the Senior Bowl, he couldn't catch the ball (on holds), much less put the ball down or work thelaces."

Which is why Larson continues to catch an obscene number of snaps each practice, and has the calluses to show for it.

He doesn't seem to mind.

"I always like to do things a lot, to work on repetition," Larson said. "I was that way before I came here, and I'm that way now."

PUNTER	TEAM	ROUND DRAFTED	OVERALL	2004 PUNTS-AVG. -NET AVG.
B.J. Sander	Packers	3rd	87th	Inactive for weeks 1-4
Andy Lee	49ers	6th	188th	20-40.8 - 35.0
Donnie Jones Jr.	Seahawks	7th	224th	Practice squad
Kyle Larson	Bengals	FA	-	24-41.2 - 32.8

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