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Leo Araguz
Leobardo Jaime Araguz (born January 18, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a punter in the National Football League (NFL) for the Oakland Raiders, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Seattle Seahawks. He also was a member of the Rhein Fire, New York/New Jersey Hitmen and Rio Grande Valley Sol. He played college football for the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks.
Araguz attended Harlingen High School in Harlingen, Texas, where he began playing football and was a four-year starter at kicker and punter. As a senior, he contributed to the team winning a Class 5A Championship.
He also competed in soccer.
Araguz accepted a football scholarship from NCAA Division I-AA Stephen F. Austin State University, where he was a four-year letterman.
As a junior, he led the conference in average yards per punt (42.6).
In July 1993, he had a two-day tryout with the Dallas Cowboys, but the team didn't sign him to a contract. On March 28, 1994, he signed as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins. He was released on July 11. On April 29, 1995, he signed with the San Diego Chargers. He was released on August 21. In the meantime, he worked as a substitute teacher at Coakley Middle School in his hometown, where he earned $50 a day.
In 1996, he was selected in the 17th round (103rd overall) by the Rhein Fire of the World League of American Football (WLAF), based on the recommendation of kicking coordinator Doug Blevins, who had seen Araguz during his tryouts with the Dolphins and Chargers. He had 41 punts for a 42.3-yard average (second in the league). He also was the kicker for the field goals (8-of-15 for a 53.3%), while international player Manfred Burgsmüller kicked the extra points.
In 1996, the Oakland Raiders stalwart punter Jeff Gossett was lost for the season with four broken ribs he suffered in the twelfth game against the Seattle Seahawks. Araguz was tried out along with other punters, but lost out to Rich Camarillo, who pulled a groin muscle during warm-ups for his first game against the Miami Dolphins, which gave Araguz the opportunity to punt in the final three games of the season. His first punt went for 52 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs. His production of 13 punts for 534 yards (41-yard avg.) gave the Raiders confidence to release Gossett on February 14, 1997. In 1997, he finished fifth in the league with 4,189 punting yards, and his 45-yards average ranked second in franchise history, behind the 45.3-yards per punt average set by Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Guy in 1973. In 1998, he set the NFL record for the most punts in a single-game (16), in a 7–6 win over the San Diego Chargers on October 11. In that game, Araguz made a solo tackle of Chargers punt returner Latario Rachal, preventing a likely touchdown on a sequence where the Chargers instead settled for a field goal. In 2000, the Raiders drafted punter Shane Lechler in the fifth round and released Araguz on August 27.
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Leo Araguz
Leobardo Jaime Araguz (born January 18, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a punter in the National Football League (NFL) for the Oakland Raiders, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Seattle Seahawks. He also was a member of the Rhein Fire, New York/New Jersey Hitmen and Rio Grande Valley Sol. He played college football for the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks.
Araguz attended Harlingen High School in Harlingen, Texas, where he began playing football and was a four-year starter at kicker and punter. As a senior, he contributed to the team winning a Class 5A Championship.
He also competed in soccer.
Araguz accepted a football scholarship from NCAA Division I-AA Stephen F. Austin State University, where he was a four-year letterman.
As a junior, he led the conference in average yards per punt (42.6).
In July 1993, he had a two-day tryout with the Dallas Cowboys, but the team didn't sign him to a contract. On March 28, 1994, he signed as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins. He was released on July 11. On April 29, 1995, he signed with the San Diego Chargers. He was released on August 21. In the meantime, he worked as a substitute teacher at Coakley Middle School in his hometown, where he earned $50 a day.
In 1996, he was selected in the 17th round (103rd overall) by the Rhein Fire of the World League of American Football (WLAF), based on the recommendation of kicking coordinator Doug Blevins, who had seen Araguz during his tryouts with the Dolphins and Chargers. He had 41 punts for a 42.3-yard average (second in the league). He also was the kicker for the field goals (8-of-15 for a 53.3%), while international player Manfred Burgsmüller kicked the extra points.
In 1996, the Oakland Raiders stalwart punter Jeff Gossett was lost for the season with four broken ribs he suffered in the twelfth game against the Seattle Seahawks. Araguz was tried out along with other punters, but lost out to Rich Camarillo, who pulled a groin muscle during warm-ups for his first game against the Miami Dolphins, which gave Araguz the opportunity to punt in the final three games of the season. His first punt went for 52 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs. His production of 13 punts for 534 yards (41-yard avg.) gave the Raiders confidence to release Gossett on February 14, 1997. In 1997, he finished fifth in the league with 4,189 punting yards, and his 45-yards average ranked second in franchise history, behind the 45.3-yards per punt average set by Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Guy in 1973. In 1998, he set the NFL record for the most punts in a single-game (16), in a 7–6 win over the San Diego Chargers on October 11. In that game, Araguz made a solo tackle of Chargers punt returner Latario Rachal, preventing a likely touchdown on a sequence where the Chargers instead settled for a field goal. In 2000, the Raiders drafted punter Shane Lechler in the fifth round and released Araguz on August 27.