By Carlos Mendez / Star-Telegram

Dallas Cowboys punter Mat McBriar said he should make a full recovery and be ready to play again in the fall after having surgery this week to remove a cyst in his left knee, found two weeks ago, which apparently led to the "drop foot" that caused him to end the season on injured reserve.

McBriar underwent the surgery on Tuesday at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Dr. Robert Spinner, who performed the surgery, said it was a rare condition.

"He's lucky, and I'm lucky because this is what I've been interested in," Spinner said. "There are lots of reasons why people have drop foot. Most are not related to tumors or this type of cyst."

McBriar, who is a free agent, said in a radio interview Thursday that he'll need to rest about a month but could be working out in two months. Free agency in the NFL begins March 13.

"I know it'll be a full recovery," McBriar said on ESPN/103.3 FM. Asked about his chances to return to Dallas after one of his worst statistical seasons, McBriar said his preference is to remain with the Cowboys.

"I don't know how it's going to end up," he said. "I really do hope that I stay in Dallas, but I guess for the time being, just getting healthy is my main focus. I've been given no reason not to believe that it would come back to where it was."

McBriar finished his eighth season, all with the Cowboys. He averaged 43.8 yards on 58 punts, his lowest average since his first two years in the league, when he averaged 42.4 and 42.5 yards. From 2006 to 2010, he averaged 47.5 yards. He made the Pro Bowl in 2006 when he led the NFL with a 48.2 average, tying for the fifth highest average in league history.

McBriar was put on injured reserve for the final game of the season. He also missed a game against Seattle.

McBriar said the cyst was discovered two weeks ago. Before that, neither he nor the Cowboys had much of an idea of what was causing the "drop foot."

"The cyst itself had been growing," McBriar said. "Maybe if we had found it earlier, that would have been a benefit. There's not extra damage that I did playing with it. It just got larger and larger, and so it was undetected at first."

Spinner said another cyst of that type -- an intraneural ganglion, which means it is in a nerve -- could form, but he does not anticipate it in McBriar. Also, cysts of that type are not common in athletes.

"It usually affects people who are older, and occasionally, people with some injuries," Spinner said. "But it's so rare, this isn't something that has been known in athletes."

"He called to thank me," DeForest said. "I told him, 'What are you thanking me for? It was all you.' It was an honor to coach a kid like that. He worked harder at his craft than any kid I've ever been around."

The kid who played eight-man football at a high school with no goalposts is now an undrafted rookie kicking for America's Team.

"His story is phenomenal," DeForest said.

Indeed it is.

Bailey was class valedictorian at Southwest Covenant, a private Christian school of 300 students (pre-K through 12th) in Yukon.

A member of the National Honor Society, Bailey made All-State, All-Conference and All-City as a placekicker, which is heady stuff considering his school had no football field and played nothing but road games at the time.

"Nobody really kicked in eight-man football," Bailey once explained. "You just went for two every time."

Bailey introduced his school to the PAT. So he could hone his craft, Bailey constructed his own goalpost out of PVC pipe and cemented it into the ground. "I wanted to play, so I had to make do," Bailey explained.

That was only the beginning of Bailey's unlikely journey to his current residence.

Bailey's high school perseverance and performance caught they eye of then-Arkansas coach Houston Nutt.

Bailey passed up a full scholarship to Ohio University to accept an offer from Nutt, who told Bailey he could walk on at Arkansas and receive an academic scholarship that would cover tuition.

After Bailey failed to earn the starting job prior to the start of his freshman season, Nutt told Bailey he would have to pay his own way because they didn't realize Bailey's partial academic grant would count toward the team's 85-scholarship limit.

"It wasn't anything intentional," Nutt told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette at the time. "I can promise you that. I wish things had been made clearer."

Nutt told Bailey he could earn a full scholarship by January if he performed well on the field, but this follow-up offer did little to appease Bailey and his parents, who couldn't afford to pay out-of-state tuition, room and board. Bailey returned to Oklahoma before the Razorbacks' 2006 season opener.

An idle Bailey eventually called OSU.

"He asked, 'Could I try to walk on?' I said, 'Oh my gosh, absolutely,' " DeForest said. "I thought the world of the kid coming out of high school. He worked his tail off. It's a credit to him and how far he's come.

"Sometimes specialists get knocked that they're a different breed, that they're freaks and all that, but Dan Bailey is as level-headed a guy you will ever meet."

Bailey arrived in Stillwater as a walkon in January 2007 and left carrying the 2010 Lou Groza Award winner as college football's most outstanding kicker.

He is OSU's all-time scoring leader with 370 career points (breaking Barry Sanders' 22-year-old record of 330) and during one stretch made 182 consecutive PATs.

Bailey was one of only five placekickers invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis last February.

"I was optimistic I would get drafted, but I also knew only one or two kickers get drafted every year," Bailey said. "I knew there were a couple of guys on the board who were just as good, if not better than I was. I wasn't too concerned, though. I was hopeful I would get a shot either way."

Only 24 placekickers have been drafted since 2001.

Since the NFL Draft began in 1936, only three placekickers have been taken in the first round – Princeton's Charlie Gogolak in 1966 by Washington; Arkansas' Steve Little in 1978 by St. Louis; Florida State's Sebastian Janikowski in 2000 by Oakland.

Bailey's name was not called during this year's draft, the league was in the midst of its 136-day lockout and on May 25, Bailey married his fianceé, Krista.

"I was kind of stressed, getting married and not knowing if I had a job or not," Bailey admitted.

On July 28, Bailey went from being an orange-clad Cowboy to a silver-starred Cowboy and signed as a free agent with Dallas.

Incumbent kicker David Buehler has a big leg. Bailey's range isn't as long, but he's long on accuracy. Bailey immediately applied pressure to Buehler by missing just two of his first 24 field-goal attempts at training camp.

The Cowboys kept the kicking competition lively throughout camp, also giving auditions to UCLA rookie Kal Forbath, 10-year veteran Shayne Graham and five-year man Dave Rayner.

Bailey beat all comers and became the Cowboys' 19th kicker since owner Jerry Jones bought the team in 1989.

As of right now, Buehler is the kickoff man while Bailey handles PATs and field goals. From exactly how far away the Cowboys believe in Bailey remains uncertain, however.

"We haven't really discussed that much," Bailey said. "Obviously, David has a really strong leg and I wouldn't be surprised if they had him out there for longer field goals, but there hasn't been a cutoff yardage discussed. I think we'll kind of cross that bridge when it comes."

Buehler was retained for kickoff duties, particularly with the starting point being moved up to the 35-yard line. "I want that ball to go into the end zone," Jones said during the preseason. "Seriously, I want it to go there every time on kickoffs."

Meanwhile, back in Oklahoma, longtime Bailey believers can't contain their contentment.

Susie Nix was Bailey's counselor at Southwest Covenant and said the school kept Bailey's makeshift goalpost for the practice field. The school now has a regulation football field it shares with the city of Yukon, but still no goalposts.

It was Nix who spoke to college coaches when Bailey was being recruited.

"His grades weren't as consistent as I wanted them to be, but his kicking sure was," Nix deadpanned. "This is a wonderful young man. It's a miracle story."

The miracle continues in The Metroplex.

(Editor's Note: Throughout the offseason, DallasCowboys.com staff writers will take a closer look at the roster, analyzing each player's impact last season and how he fits into the team's 2011 plans. Today's featured player is kicker Kris Brown.)

Name: Kris Brown
Position: kicker
Height/Weight: 5-11 / 211
Experience: 12 seasons
College: Nebraska

Key stat: Brown has a career 77.3 field goal percentage (256-for-331) over 12 seasons. David Buehler had a 75.0 field goal percentage (24-for-32) in his first season as the Cowboys' full-time kicker.

Contract Status: Signed through 2011.

2010 Impact: Brown, a native of nearby Southlake, Texas, signed a two-year deal with the Cowboys during the final week of the season - five days after Buehler missed a late extra point in a one-point Christmas Night loss to the Cardinals. Four months earlier, Brown's eight-year run with the Texans ended after losing a training camp battle with Neil Rackers. Houston gave Brown an injury settlement - he had been kicking with plantar fasciitis - and he briefly signed with the Chargers in late October, making four of five field goals in three games for an injured Nate Kaeding.

Where He Fits: Brown's signing directly indicates this: The Cowboys feel Buehler needs competition. They haven't given up on their young kicker, but they need more consistency from him. Buehler made 4-of-6 field goals from at least 50 yards but also missed three between 30 and 39 yards. Brown was inconsistent in stretches with the Steelers and Texans, but he's an experienced guy who should at least push Buehler in preseason - if there is a preseason.

Writers' Analysis:

Rob Phillips: The new rule moving kickoffs from the 30- to 35-yard line gives Buehler a further edge over Brown. The Cowboys would rather not keep two kickers on the 53-man roster again, but Buehler must demonstrate he can make short and intermediate field goals. Had the Cowboys been in a playoff race last year, they might have been forced to sign a veteran like Brown much sooner.

Nick Eatman: This could be one of the best position battles in training camp, although that's not exactly a good thing. With Brown and Buehler having very similar kicking percentages, it'll probably come down to other variables, such as kickoffs. Brown might be equalized a bit with the new kickoff rules pushing the line of scrimmage up five yards. But ultimately, it'll probably come down to trust. If the Cowboys can trust Brown more than Buehler when it comes to making the medium-range kicks, then it should give him a boost when it's time to make the decision. Once Buehler misses a crucial extra point, it's going to be difficult to fully trust him, which is not a good feeling to have going into a season.

Football News Now

Philadelphia Eagles kicker David Akers may be out of Philadelphia, but not the NFC East.

According to Sports Illustrated's Don Banks, the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins are plausible landing spots for the five-time Pro Bowler.

“Given the challenges the Cowboys and Redskins have had with kickers in recent years,” Banks writes, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Akers wound up somewhere else in the NFC East, facing his old team twice a year.”

Akers has spent the past 13 years in Philadelphia, but refused to sign the transition tag the Eagles extended to him in February. The team responded by selecting Nebraska kicker Alex Henery in the fourth-round (120th overall), the earliest a kicker taken since 2006, all but signaling the end of Aker’s time with the Eagles.

The Cowboys 75-percent field goal conversion rate was good for 30th in the NFL in 2010, while the Redskins 69-percent put them dead last. Both teams tied for 17th in the league with 24 field goals made.

The Eagles finished third with 32 makes, converting 84-percent of their attempts.

Pro Football News Now

The NFL’s newly adopted kickoff rules put many strong-legged, but wild kickers in jeopardy of losing their jobs.

Dallas Cowboys kicker David Buehler is among them.

Buehler is an “excellent kickoff guy” but the new rules, which involves moving the kickoff line back from the 30-yard line to the 35 starting next season, means the 24-year-old “might be out of a job unless he can make field goals,” writes ESPN Dallas' Calvin Watkins.

Problem is, Buehler didn’t necessarily show he could do that with consistency either in his first year with Dallas. He converted 24 of 32 attempts in 2010, while going a woeful 66 percent from 30-plus yards. Buehler also missed a PAT at Arizona that lost a game on Christmas Day, a play that Watkins revealed was “probably the last straw” for the place-kicker.

The Cowboys also signed 13-year veteran Kris Brown last New Year’s Eve. The former All-Pro kicker succeeded on four of his five attempts while filling in for Buehler last year, but his longest conversion was a mere 36 yards.

Roger Lalonde / Naples Daily News

MARCO ISLAND, Fla. — The new Marco Island Academy has decided to add football to its sports programs, and it will have a big name heading the coaching staff.

Mike Vanderjagt, former record-setting NFL place-kicker, is the coach.

“I’ve wanted to get into coaching for a couple of years now,” Vanderjagt said. “I talked to Lely (High) and a few other schools, but nothing materialized. Now I can stay on the island and coach, it is the best of both worlds.

Vanderjagt, 41, will coordinate the entire program as it develops. His career field goal accuracy was 86.5 percent.

“There has been a lot of interest and it seems like there is no time like the present to start football as we grow with other sports programs,” said Roger Raymond, the school’s first athletic director.

The CFL’s Toronto Argonauts signed him in 1996, with Vanderjagt being a key in the team winning two straight Grey Cups. In those two championship games he made all nine of his field goal attempts. For his 1996 efforts he was named the game’s most valuable Canadian. He also led the CFL in yardage per punt in 1997.

He played nine seasons in the NFL, for the Indianapolis Colts from 1998-2005 and with the Dallas Cowboys in 2006. He was released in the latter portion of the 2006 season.

He is best known for his stupendous field-goal kicking effort that actually took parts of three seasons. While with the Colts he made good on four field goals at the end of the 2002 season, then went a perfect 37-for-37 in 2003, until his streak ended in the 2004. Few were chippies, with the longest being 51 yards.

Jane Watt, the school’s chairwoman, is thrilled to have Vanderjagt.

“Can you believe it?” she said. “I am so excited that he wants to work with the kids. We are so lucky to have this amazing professional to share his knowledge and talents. Most kids only dream of meeting a professional football player, and to actually be coached by one is amazing.”

Chris Pellant, school principal joins in the enthusiasm.

“I’m really excited about coach Vanderjagt as our head football coach,” he said. “His background as a professional football player adds instant credibility to the program. No one becomes the most accurate kicker in NFL history without having an incredible work ethic and passion for the sport. More importantly, however, is his ability to work well with kids and to be a positive role model for them.”

Vanderjagt owns and operates Vandy’s 5 Brothers Restaurant on the island. He also resides on Marco with wife Janalyn and son Jay.

He has worked with young kids on the island in football, basketball and soccer.

“I like working with that age group,” he said. “I like their innocence of them for one. I want to have a program that includes a lot of fun. Basically, coaching at this age is like an artist’s version of a blank canvass. You can kind of mold them to be a good player because they have no preconceived notions in general about sports.”

Vanderjagt has already talked to possible coaching assistants, all from Marco, he said.

Also on his side is Tony Dungy, former NFL championship coach, who Vanderjagt was under at Indianapolis.

“I plan on taking my staff up to Tampa for a chalk-talk with him,” Vanderjagt said. “He is on my speed dial.”

The school will start out with freshman and sophomore students. Will that be difficult to recruit players who now go to Lely, St. John Neumann, or other off-island schools?

All those involved with the school think that Vanderjagt can have an immediate impact on attracting additional students. Like some of those schools, it can enroll students from all over the county.

“I can tell those who are considering coming here that I will make them into a good football player,” Vanderjagt said. “As for scholarships, Peyton Manning went to a small high school. As we grow we can provide as good an opportunity as anywhere in Southwest Florida.”

First published by Steve Lansdale

Dallas Cowboys kicker David Buehler has one of the most powerful legs in the entire NFL.

But in his second season — his first as the team’s placekicker — he hit just 75 percent (24 of 32) field goals and had the misfortune of missing two (of 44) extra points.

It is widely believed that Buehler will get some competition for the placekicking job after having none for most of camp last season. Whether that’s a veteran or rookie remains to be seen, but ranchreport.com has identified five kickers who are under consideration by the Cowboys, either as potential draft choices or as candidates to be signed as undrafted free agents.

Considering the number of positions that could use an upgrade, it seems unlikely the Cowboys will spend a high draft pick on a kicker, and considering the fact that no more than one or two kickers get drafted every year, it certainly is possible that the team won’t draft another kicker at all. But it is not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

Alex Henery of Nebraska is considered by many to be the best kicker in the nation, and certainly is the best combination kicker and punter. Henery has a cannon of a leg, and not only boasts great accuracy — he hit 193 of 194 extra points and 74 of 80 field goal attempts (92.5 percent) in his career, including 18 of 19 in his senior season … and the one miss was a blocked 51-yarder — but also has a lot of lift, getting the ball up and out of reach of would-be blockers very quickly. Even on long field goals — he connected from 50 or more yards in each of his four seasons as the Cornhuskers’ kicker, including a career-long 57-yarder as a sophomore — the height on his kicks is among the best in the nation. Henery appears an unlikely candidate to challenge Buehler, as he is expected to be the first kicker drafted, maybe in the middle rounds.

If Henery is the top kicking prospect in the draft, Kai Forbath of UCLA is very close behind. Forbath hit 102 of 104 extra points in his career and 85 of 101 career field goal attempts (84.2 percent). He won the Lou Groza Award — given annually to the nation’s best kicker — as a junior and finished as the second-leading scorer in UCLA history with 357 points. Forbath shares two NCAA records after kicking at least two field goals in 27 games and at least three in 13.

The next kicker the Cowboys have studied would walk in to Valley Ranch with a national championship ring: Wes Byrum of Auburn certainly was overshadowed by teammates Cam Newton and Nick Fairley, but it was Byrum who hit the championship-winning field goal in the Tigers’ victory over Oregon. Byrum is another who boasts extraordinary excellence on short kicks — he hit 182 of 183 extra points in his career with the Tigers and 60 of 80 (75 percent) field goals — but doesn’t have quite the power and range that Henery and Forbath do; in two of his four seasons, he failed to hit a field goal from 50 yards. Byrum finished his college career as Auburn’s all-time scoring leader.

Jake Rogers of Cincinnati is a big (6-2, 213) kicker with a big leg. A four-year starter for the Bearcats, Rogers was a shade behind the accuracy of the first three — he converted 181 of 186 extra points and 51 of 75 field goals (68 percent) in his career — but he developed a reputation as a solid kicker in bad weather. Considering the Cowboys play most of their games in excellent conditions — either the warm fall air or indoors if the weather dictates that the roof of Cowboys Stadium is closed — it appears unlikely that Rogers would be the team’s target.

Boise State’s Kyle Brotzman is known best to most college football fans as the guy who famously missed two field goals in the Broncos’ surprising loss to Nevada, the game that quite possibly cost Boise State a chance to play for the national title. Like Rogers, Brotzman played a lot of his college games in cold, sometimes-windy conditions. He converted 238 of 239 career extra points and drilled 67 of 92 career field goals (72.8 percent) — including at least one of 50 yards or more every season (he connected from a career-long 51 yards in his freshman and junior seasons), but Brotzman is viewed as more of a line drive kicker whose kicks don’t get high in the air as some of the other candidates on this list.

Each of these kickers has considerable talent. But there are only 32 teams in the NFL, and many will keep their 2010 kickers, so the chance is good that not even five rookies will find an NFL job next year (or whenever games are next played). But