After missing what would have been the game-tying field goal in the closing seconds of the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots, it wouldn't have surprised anyone if Baltimore Ravens placekicker Billy Cundiff had spiralled downward into a deep depression and was ostracized by his teammates for eliminating any chance of going to this year's Super Bowl.
Instead, Cundiff recently said how impressed he has been with the support he has received from his coaches and teammates. A story (with video) in the Des Moines Register, where Cundiff returned to his alma mater, Drake University, to receive the Drake "Double D" Award, the highest honor that can be bestowed on former student athletes.
Cundiff specifically mentioned offensive coordinator Cam Camerson, who offered the downtrodden kicker words of encouragement. Cundiff recalled Cam's comments:
"(He) said, 'Look, the only two guys that anybody can ever really judge and that everyone truly does not understand are the quarterback and the kicker,' Cundiff said. "Everybody thinks they can play better than the quarterback and think they can kick better than the kicker. The pressure on those two positions is the most unique of any position in the NFL. 'Nobody will truly understand what those two positions go through, but they will be the most highly critiqued. You just have to keep that in perspective.'"