Brad Maynard

Infobox NFLactive


caption=Brad Maynard at the Chicago Bears 2007 Training Camp.
currentteam=Chicago Bears
currentnumber=4
currentpositionplain=Punter
birthdate=birth date and age|1974|2|9
birthplace=Tipton, Indiana
heightft=6
heightin=1
weight=187
debutyear=1997
debutteam=New York Giants
highlights=
* Most Punts in a Game
* Special Teams Player of the Week (x1)
college=Ball State
draftyear=1997
draftround=3
draftpick=95
pastteams=
* New York Giants (1997-2000)
* Chicago Bears (2001-present)
statweek=17
statseason=2007
statlabel1=Punts
statvalue1=1,002
statlabel2=Punt Yards
statvalue2=42,265
statlabel3=Punting Yard Average
statvalue3=42.2
nfl=MAY568387

Bradley "Brad" Alan Maynard (born February 9, 1974 in Tipton, Indiana) is an American football punter and holder for the National Football League's Chicago Bears. Maynard was selected by the New York Giants in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft out of Ball State University where he was an All-American.

College career

Maynard attended Ball State University, where he averaged 44.2 yards per kick, ranking third in NCAA history. He amassed over 10,700 yards on 242 punts. Maynard was named onto the consensus All-American selection and All-Mid-American Conference first-team pick. He won MAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year and MVP following his senior campaign. He majored in business while playing for the Cardinals. He was described as quiet, humble, and hard working during his collegiate years. [http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/215887,CST-NWS-hotside18.article]

Maynard was inducted into Ball State's Athletic Hall of Fame on February 8, 2008. [http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=4302]

Professional career

The New York Giants selected Maynard in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft, which made him one of the highest drafted punters in the modern era of football. [The New York Times, [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A06E0D91338F935A25754C0A961958260 Giants Sign Rookie Punter] (July 16, 1997), Retrieved on September 9, 2007.] He was a member of the 2000 New York Giants, who played the Baltimore Ravens at Super Bowl XXXV. Though the Giants lost the game, 34-7, Maynard set an NFL record for most punts in one game. [ [http://www.chicagobears.com/team/player.asp?player_id=55 Roster - Chicago Bears ] ] Following the season's end, Maynard hit free agency, and signed with the Chicago Bears.

Maynard is also known for his occasional trick plays. On rare occasions, he may pass in order to convert on first downs. His most notable trick play came in 2001, when he threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Brian Urlacher on a fake field goal en route to a 20-15 victory over the Washington Redskins, which secured the Bears the NFC's second playoff seed. He also threw passes on fake punts during two Bears' season finales in 2005 and 2006. His career passing stats are 4-6 with 2 TDs. [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A18019-2001Dec23 Redskins Fall From Race (washingtonpost.com) ] ]

In January 2007, he was voted to be the sexiest member of the Chicago Bears. [ [http://www.suntimes.com/mainpromotions/home/216044,maynard011807promo.article] ] Along with Patrick Mannelly, Bears' kicker Robbie Gould claims Maynard to be one of the Bears' unsung heroes. [ [http://www.daily-chronicle.com/articles/2007/01/22/sports/sports01.txt] ]

External links

* [http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/3898 Official NFL Statistics]

References