Blake Gillikin talks about the punter competition and how Saints training camp has gone so far.
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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:03 >> All at once.
00:04 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:07 >> Let's talk about Zach getting his extension.
00:10 Will came out here the other day just talking,
00:11 how instrumental he's been in playing a part in your role.
00:15 >> Yeah, Zach's been with me through thick and thin.
00:18 Obviously, Will missed 2021, my first year playing.
00:21 Zach was kind of that veteran presence for me that I really needed.
00:24 It's just great to see him rewarded for his hard work and success.
00:30 It's an under appreciated position, a thousand times over.
00:34 So, and you see it, people don't turn over long sappers a lot.
00:40 It's cuz it's hard to find a good one.
00:42 And he's a really good one, good person,
00:44 great guy to come to work with every day, great friend.
00:46 So it's really happened to him.
00:49 >> How do you view getting competition at training camp,
00:52 having them bring in another player?
00:53 How do you look at that?
00:54 I mean, some years are obviously gonna do that, some years they're not.
00:57 >> Whenever you have had competition, whether it's in OTAs or camp,
01:01 this is four years running.
01:02 I think it's almost easier to have competition than to not,
01:06 cuz you kind of have a way to gauge yourself against someone else.
01:08 Obviously, we're punting every single day, either me or Lou.
01:12 So it's good to get that kind of work, kind of measure yourself against someone
01:17 else on a practice field before you go into a game.
01:20 I think we just push each other every single day.
01:23 I think it's good, Lou's really talented.
01:25 Obviously, you see that he punts a little bit different stylistically than I do.
01:28 So it's good to kind of get that stylistic difference and
01:32 kind of learn new tricks sometimes.
01:36 >> How would you grade where you are right now and
01:37 how you feel you've done this camp?
01:39 >> Yeah, I feel like I've hit the ball pretty good.
01:41 Obviously, I'm working on stuff like everybody on the field.
01:44 Sometimes it doesn't translate to the period as well, but
01:48 that's kind of why you work through it during practice and
01:52 getting ready for the preseason games.
01:53 Hopefully, those go well, and that's kind of what you're preparing for.
01:56 >> What was kind of your big focus this offseason?
01:59 What did you want to kind of narrow it on?
02:03 >> Yeah, last offseason, I was hurt for three months.
02:06 >> Yeah.
02:07 >> And I felt like I was really concerned about getting my body right
02:10 during the offseason, not really on my punting technique.
02:14 I feel like I've really been able to hone in on different things I wanna work on
02:17 this offseason.
02:19 Just really the consistency right in all situations of the game.
02:24 I don't really treat situationally different during a game,
02:27 cuz every punt's a big punt to me.
02:29 But obviously, last year,
02:30 there was a couple times late in the game that I didn't really deliver for the team.
02:34 And that's really unacceptable on my end.
02:36 Just trying to really build that trust between myself and
02:41 the coaching staff that I can deliver in those moments has been big for me.
02:45 And that's really just about getting comfortable with my technique,
02:49 being able to rely on that in pressure situations.
02:51 >> So if you're able to not have a full, healthy offseason,
02:55 when do you start diving in?
02:57 How much time did you give yourself off before you-
03:00 >> [LAUGH]
03:01 Well, I take about two and a half months off in the offseason before I start
03:05 punting again.
03:06 And then kinda just start working things week by week,
03:10 go out there with a plan every single day.
03:13 And obviously now it's kinda time to lay it on the line and go do it in the game.
03:17 >> So as a punter, how often do you find yourself trying to add things to your game?
03:23 I feel like there's a point where it's like, okay, I do everything I need to do,
03:26 and I do it well.
03:27 But are there times you see stuff that you just kind of incorporate?
03:31 >> There's new stuff that's come about the last couple years.
03:33 Guys are starting to hit helicopter punts, which are really tough to catch.
03:38 Johnny Hecker was the first to do it in the game.
03:40 He now plays for Carolina, so we see him twice a year.
03:42 And he's done it against us.
03:44 So just kinda trying to incorporate that in my game also,
03:47 whether we need it.
03:49 Yeah, so you have your spiral punt, you have your end over end punt,
03:51 which spins backwards.
03:52 Helicopter punt, you kinda drop sideways and it spins to the right.
03:56 It's supposed to kick to the right.
03:58 And those are really tough to catch for the returner,
03:59 cuz they go up this way and then snap back down at the end.
04:03 So whether using that in just a regular game situation or
04:06 when we need a turnover on the punt team, just kinda adding that to my arsenal.
04:10 It's been kind of a focus this offseason.
04:12 >> Kinda noticing today too, when you were working on that,
04:15 the closer you're in, you're going for the end over end,
04:18 rather than trying to turn it over if you're further back in the field.
04:21 >> Right, yeah, I think everyone in the league at this point,
04:24 once you're over the 50, you're hitting end over end punts.
04:26 Just so much easier to control.
04:28 Obviously, it used to be the coffin corner punts, spirals, but
04:33 it's more consistent to do it distance control wise and directionally.
04:38 Cuz if the ball doesn't turn over while you're hitting the spiral,
04:42 the difference is 20 yards, whether or not it's gonna be on the sideline or
04:45 in the middle of the field.
04:46 So yeah, most everyone's doing it nowadays.
04:50 >> This might be a dumb question, but there's gotta be a point where you also
04:54 bring in everybody else into that too,
04:55 cuz they need to know what type of punt you're sending down.
04:58 How does that kind of communicate?
05:00 >> Yeah, I mean, we have different calls in games.
05:02 I'm not gonna give you our calls.
05:03 [LAUGH] Yeah, the gunners are always on the same page as I am.
05:08 Taysom's the best PP in the league, personal protector.
05:12 So that makes it really, really easy for me.
05:14 Obviously, reading defenses and reading rushes is very, very similar.
05:17 So we kinda decide what punt we're gonna hit based on that,
05:20 based on whether the gunners are getting biced or not.
05:24 And we're always on the same page with each other.
05:26 You see a signal during games, different signals, which we change every week.
05:30 So people can watch them while they want, but we change them.
05:33 And it's just, yeah, we're always on the same page, and
05:36 it makes it easy on me cuz obviously we have great gunners out there.
05:39 JT's an all pro.
05:40 We got some really good guys in camp getting good work.
05:43 >> Will was talking about battling back from injury,
05:47 like just feeling a lot more comfortable this year.
05:49 Just what have you seen from him this camp?
05:52 >> Just a lot of confidence.
05:53 Last year, he was really,
05:56 really just trying to get his body right every single week.
05:59 Nothing, kinda the same way with me.
06:01 We're just trying to figure out a way to get to Sunday and feel really good.
06:05 And this year, his leg looks really alive.
06:08 He's really confident in practice, outside of practice.
06:12 And I think for a kicker, confidence is everything.
06:14 Cuz if you see the ball go through the pipes and
06:17 you're not really sure why it did, you're not really guaranteed to do it again.
06:21 So I think he's really worked really hard this off season,
06:24 getting his body right, getting really confident.
06:26 And I think operationally, we're really good right now.
06:29 >> Does he intentionally go for that pole in the middle?
06:30 >> [LAUGH] So depending on where we're kicking from,
06:33 it's actually not in the middle.
06:35 So it could be a little bit off center, but the one he hit today was dead center.
06:38 >> Blake, do you still stay in contact with Morrissette,
06:42 see if the Hall of Fame game is still planning and competing?
06:45 >> [LAUGH] I'm actually, we were supposed to go home with each other in July,
06:50 but the plans fell through.
06:52 He planted great in the Hall of Fame game, by the way.
06:57 Really happy for him.
06:58 And to be doing this 15 years is a blessing for anybody.
07:03 And to do it in the way he has is kind of an example for
07:06 me to try to kind of emulate for my career.
07:08 So just really happy for all his success.
07:12 Obviously, we're gonna see a little bit of him on Hard Knocks,
07:15 which should be a good, hopefully, mixed cameo appearance.
07:18 But yeah, he's always been really, really good to me.
07:22 I know him and Will are very, very, very good friends.
07:26 So just to kind of have that resource with him is also good.
07:29 Still pretty young, so having that veteran brother was great.
07:32 [BLANK_AUDIO]