The Pittsburgh Steelers tried out former Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots long snapper Matt Katula, according to a league source.

Katula, 29, played in five games last season for the Minnesota Vikings, filling in when Cullen Loeffler broke a bone in his lower back.

A former Wisconsin player, Katula played with the Ravens from 2005 to 2009 and played eight games two years ago for the Patriots.

For his career, the 6-foot-6, 265-pounder has played in 93 games.

The Arizona Cardinals signed four players, including kicker/punter Ricky Schmitt, who has Prokicker.com connections. Schmitt, who is 6-2 and 217 pounds, has only attempted a few kicks in the league with the 49ers. He's spent much of his time in the league on practice squads on Pittsburgh and Oakland.

When Endicott head coach J.B. Wells received a call from the Jaguars regarding standout defensive end Kevin Eagan, he seized the moment to talk up Allen as well.

St. Louis Post Dispatch

Rams special teams coordinator John Fassel piled up some frequent-flyer miles this spring in search of a punter.

The team's interest level in re-signing veteran Donnie Jones ranged somewhere between little and none. (Jones eventually signed with the Houston Texans as a free agent.)

So with the punting job wide open, Fassel worked out no fewer than eight college punters, some on more than one occasion. As the draft wore down and it was time to start working the phones for rookie free agents, the Rams pretty much had an open field.

California's Bryan Anger, the star of this year's punting class, went a surprising No. 70 overall (in the third round) to Jacksonville, making him the highest-drafted punter since Todd Sauerbrun in 1995. The only other punter drafted was Wisconsin's Brad Nortman, who went to Carolina on the final pick of the sixth round.

Several recognizable names remained available as the draft ended, including:

• Georgia's Drew Butler, a former Ray Guy award winner as college football's top punter.

• Florida State's Shawn Powell, who set a school record with a 47.0-yard average last season.

• Brian Stahovich of San Diego State, whom Fassel had worked out in March.

But when the Rams asked Fassel who he wanted, there was no hesitation: Johnny Hekker of Oregon State. And that's who the team signed as a rookie free agent shortly after the draft concluded on April 28.

"The first thing I liked about Johnny was what he put on game film," Fassel said. "He's got a big leg. He's a big, tall, long guy. I think the potential for him is unlimited."

Fassel knows what punting looks like at its highest level because for the last four years in Oakland — three as Raiders special teams coordinator — he has worked with Shane Lechler, one of the best punters in NFL history and a seven-time Pro Bowler.

That sets the bar pretty high for Hekker.

"His really good balls are pretty close to Lechler's good balls," Fassel said. "The difference is, Lechler hits eight of 10 'wow!' — Johnny will hit five out of 10 'wow!'"

It is Fassel's task to help build up Hekker's ratio of "wow" kicks.

"One thing we'll work on with him is his consistency," Fassel said.

Speaking of both Hekker and sixth-round draft pick Greg Zuerlein, a place-kicker from Missouri Western State, Fassel added: "One thing I don't want to do is over-think it and become mechanical about it. Both of them. Because one of their greatest strengths is they're natural and they're smooth. So I don't want them to become a machine."

Hekker played quarterback at Bothell (Wash.) High near Seattle and had a scholarship offer to play that position at Southern Utah. But his heart was set on playing Pacific 10 Conference football (now the Pac-12), and his only chance to do so was as a walk-on punter at Oregon Sate.

He was awarded a scholarship entering his sophomore season with the Beavers, and improved his numbers every year. For the most part those numbers weren't great, certainly not good enough to get noticed by the NFL: a 39.7-yard average in 2008; 40.1 yards in '09; and 41.7 yards in '10.

Hekker saved his best for last, with a 44.0-yard average last season. He had at least one punt of 60 yards-plus in six games in 2011, and established a single-game school record with a 52.5-yard average against Utah.

But he still had some clunkers, including a shanked punt last season against Wisconsin that went for minus-4 yards and was dubbed "Worst Punt Ever" on YouTube.

"I'm working on consistency," Hekker said. "At Oregon State, I just had some bad kicks. Bad kicks have always just kind of plagued me."

His punt for minus-4 yards was rugby style, rolling out to his right before striking the ball. That's a style used in college, because the coverage team gets to leave the line of scrimmage right after the snap. Rolling out gives the coverage unit an extra second or two to get down field.

"A lot of those college teams, they do that rollout rugby punt," Fassel said. "(Hekker) did that about half the time, which meant he never really got to focus on one craft, which is a professional pocket-style punt. ... His rugby days are over."

That's because coverage rules are different in the NFL: you have to wait until the ball is struck before running downfield, so there's no advantage gained by punting rugby style.

Even with his good numbers last season, Hekker didn't get invited to any college all-star games, or the NFL scouting combine.

"I got overlooked in that sense," he said.

But he made the most of his offseason. He trained with kicking guru Mike McCabe in Alabama. He also worked in Arizona at Gary Zauner's specialist combine; Zauner is a long-time college and professional special teams coach. That led to an invitation to an NFL regional combine in New York, kind of a satellite program to the big scouting combine in Indianapolis.

"I tried to make my rounds, get my name out there as best I could," Hekker said.

Fassel worked him out at Oregon State's pro day, and stayed in touch up through the draft.

"I wasn't quite sure of his interest level," Hekker said. "You hear stuff from coaches and you're not really sure which all of it's genuine."

Fassel's interest obviously proved genuine because Hekker basically has been handed the punter's job in St. Louis. It's his to lose.

"I'm just so blessed beyond belief to have this opportunity to work with this team," Hekker said.

Prokicker.com Purdue Rankings

#1 kicker and kicker/punter Combo:  Craig Larew, Indiana, Class of 2012

#1 punter:  Dean DeVries, Michigan, Class of 2012

#1 Long Snapper:  Sean Corcoran, Illinois, Class of 2013

The Ray Guy Prokicker.com Academy at Purdue University Competition Winners:

Long Distance Field Goal Winner: 

Evan Giebel, 53 yds

Long Distance Kickoff Winner:

Andrew Fantini, 63 yds, 3.47 sec

Hang Time Punt Winner:

Andrew Horning, 46 yds, 4.6 sec

Fastest Single Snap: 

Sean Corcoran, .82

Most Accurate Snapper:

Sean Corcoran, 20 out of 30

Top Prospects/Talent Search:

Jonathan Hutchens, K, 2013

Evan Giebel, K, 2014

Jimmy Crumley, P, 2012 

BOWLING GREEN, KY –  Prokicker.com Ray Guy kicking Academy's competition winners at this week's camp.

Here are the camp’s top prospects and the competition winners.

Top Prospect:

Carson Greifenkamp - K/P, Class of 2012

camp Competition Winners

Long distance field goal: Clay Nelson, 51 yds
Long distance kickoff: Carson Greifenkamp, 68 yds
Hang time punt: Ryan Ault, 4.61
Out of bounds punt right: Travis Cosebeer
Out of bounds punt left: Cole Woodburn
Fastest single snap: Mitchell Tuttle
Most accurate snapper: John Evans

Here are camp competition results from the Charleston/Summerville, S.C., camp:

Long Distance Field Goal High School: Patrick Woods, 55 yards

Long Distance Field Goal High School: Evan Oldaker, 35 yards

Long Distance Kickoff: Austin Jordan, 74 yards, 3.62

Hang Time Punt: Truett Burns, 46 yards, 4.2

Out of Bounds Punt Right: Evan Oldaker

Out of Bounds Punt Left: Ryan Gilbreath

Fastest Single Snap: Michael Sulka and Jacob Copeland, 0.78

Most Accurate Snapper: Len Skubal

Top Prospects: Michael Sulka (long-snapper) and Kyle Clark (punter/kicker)

By Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger The Star-Ledger
 

And each May, they join in what has been a family tradition the past five years: The annual Neurofibromatosis Walk in Los Angeles. About 75 family members and friends will wear red “Team Blake” T-shirts in a city park tomorrow morning, supporting Robinson’s daily battle with the genetic disorder — and the four tumors that occupy his brain, plus one in each hip.

“He’s a tough kid,” Folk said in a phone interview. “Little things that are hard for him to do, he pushes through and does a great job. He tries hard at everything he does.”

Robinson is the only member of the family known to have neurofibromatosis, traced to a spontaneous mutation on the 17th chromosome. The affected gene helps regulate cell division, so its change can lead to uncontrolled growth of nervous system tissues.

Folk’s mother, Kathryn Folk, is Robinson’s pediatrician in California and first suspected the disorder when she noticed telltale brown café-au-lait spots multiplying across her nephew’s skin before his first birthday. It took six months for a geneticist to confirm the diagnosis.

There are different types of neurofibromatosis, and the disorder manifests differently in each patient. Some may never show symptoms. Robinson’s case is severe, afflicting him with the kind of tumor only 15 percent of patients with his type of NF develop, located where the optic nerves cross in the brain. It began to grow when he was 6, causing headaches so intense, he could only make it through an hour of school.

The fourth-grader has endured three rounds of chemotherapy, a craniotomy and three brain surgeries in one span of 3 1/2 weeks. He needs an MRI every eight to 12 weeks to monitor the tumors, and any time he develops a headache, it raises red flags.

Still, Robinson is not scared of hospitals, enjoys math and art classes at his elementary school and is the catcher for his little league team.

“He’s an inspiration to all of us,” his mother, Kim Robinson, said from the family’s home in Toluca Lake, Calif. “I don’t know how he does it.”

Folk is reminded of that inspiration each day through a green-and-blue wristband for the Children’s Tumor Foundation, dedicated to ending neurofibromatosis through research.

Three years ago, doctors at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles had to operate on Robinson’s growing brain tumor when fluid built up in his brain. Folk was playing in Dallas at the time, and asked his coaches for time off from the offseason program.

He flew to California and showed up with half of his head shaved, to match the 7-year-old.

Folk, who will be a free agent but expects to re-sign with the Jets, has also used his vocation to support the search for a cure. The Children’s Tumor Foundation estimates he has raised more than $50,000 toward research.

In 2009, Folk pledged a donation for every extra point and field goal he made for the Cowboys. Last fall, his first season with the Jets, he arranged for the team to donate a VIP two-day package to training camp or mini-camp, auctioned off for $25,000 at the foundation’s gala in New York City. Tomorrow, he will be a celebrity emcee for the L.A. walk.

“Nick has really helped inspire interest in the cause,” said Garrett Gleeson, the communications director for the CTF. “The fact that he cares so much, to take both his time and his own money to support our cause. It means a lot, not only to the foundation, but to those living with NF.”

Robinson, dreaming like a 10-year-old can, wants to be a professional golfer and the head chef at his own restaurant. He looks up to Folk, and excitedly recalls his trip in January to watch the Jets’ last home game against Buffalo.

This weekend, Folk will be there for Robinson, trying to top the more than $52,000 the L.A. walk raised last year. As an emcee, Folk will help auction off canvasses painted by kids living with the disorder.

Robinson said his canvas shows his “happy place,” a memory from vacations to the Cayman Islands with his parents and younger brother, Aidan. Each year on the trip’s final night, they stand with their feet in the sand, and remember that feeling for when they’re sad or scared.

“He’s had a tougher road than I’ve had,” Folk said. “There are a lot more important things in life than football.”

To support Blake Robinson in tomorrow’s Neurofibromatosis Walk in L.A., visit: CTF.kintera.org/NFwalkLA2011t/blakerobinson.

For more information on neurofibromatosis and the Children’s Tumor Foundation, visit CTF.org.

For more Jets coverage, follow Jenny Vrentas on Twitter at twitter.com/Jennyvrentas

Jenny Vrentas: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it