Crosby impresses his peers.
Longwell amazed by two kicks vs. Dallas
GREEN BAY - Ryan Longwell was inside a bar at Walt Disney World Resort when his successor made the two biggest kicks of his career.
The former Green Bay Packers kicker had just finished second at the Diamond Resorts Invitational, a celebrity golf tournament in Orlando. At one point, Longwell made seven birdies in 10 holes. To celebrate, he took his family to nearby Disney World.
Inside the Fort Wilderness Resort bar, he watched Packers kicker Mason Crosby make two long field goals against the Dallas Cowboys, including a 53-yard game-winner.
“Just amazing,” Longwell said. “The thing about those positions is, no one understands what it’s like unless you’ve been there. You can play a video game, you can be in other sports, but when that whole game is on your foot and you just know you have to perform, and you’re confident in your abilities but your legs still feel like JELL-O, and there’s nothing that can simulate that situation until you’re there.
“He’s just the strongest guy and understands and has perspective on the job, which you can kind of free-flow in those situations.”
Longwell knew too well what that moment in Dallas felt like. It wasn’t long ago he was known for his clutch kicks. His four gamewinning field goals in 2004 were an NFL record.
When Longwell signed with the Minnesota Vikings before the 2006 season, he left Green Bay as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. He led the Packers in scoring a record nine straight seasons. His 226 field goals, 81.6%, 376 extra points and eight 100point seasons were team records.
Crosby now owns each of those records except career percentage. His 80.4% trails Longwell’s mark, thanks to a 2012 slump. Crosby became the Packers’ alltime scoring leader during a 2015 home victory against the Seattle Seahawks.
Longwell, who still talks often with Crosby, said he has “a great relationship” with the Packers’ current kicker. He’s impressed with how Crosby responded after his 63.6% in 2012 was last in the NFL. Longwell said he didn’t mind watching Crosby pass him in the team’s record books.
“He puts them out of reach forever,” Longwell said. “He’s so good at what he does, and once he went through that tough stretch ... he basically bet on himself and that is so much confidence and so much faith to put all the chips on yourself.
“That’s kind of how we want it as athletes, but since then he’s been so good, so steady, and really made three of the biggest kicks I’ve ever seen in that playoff game this year.”
Familiar fit: The Packers feel like they know what they’re getting with Ricky Jean Francois,a 30-year-old free-agent defensive tackle they signed last month to a one-year deal worth up to $3 million.
Jean Francois, a seventhround pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2009, has spent most of his eight seasons in the NFC. He played the last two seasons in Washington, appearing in all 32 games.
Jean Francois has played the Packers five times in his career, including each of the past two seasons.
Coach Mike McCarthy said he was impressed when Jean Francois played against his team, and even more so when the Packers hosted him on his visit.
“It was a good fit,” McCarthy said. “He’s a no-nonsense guy. A veteran with experience, and he’s actually done some good things playing out in the five technique, not just the one or the three, too. I thought he was an excellent addition.”
The Packers might not be done with the defensive line. If the board falls right later this month, they could add another piece through the draft.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Jack Blair, soph., Marquette: An honorable-mention all-state golfer who averaged 77.37 and finished 13th at the WIAA Division 1 state tournament. Blair also finished second at a pair of tournaments during the season. Steven Butler, sr., Marquette: Butler averaged 78.43 last season and cracked the top 5 in five different tournaments and was also named honorable mention all-state. Andrew Clement, soph., Pewaukee: The third-team all-state player had a huge freshman season. Clement averaged 77.0, was the Woodland Conference tournament champion and a first-team all-conference selection. Clement shot a 3-under-par 68 to win the Marquette Sectional, then finished 13th individually at state. Gus Grunau, jr., Whitefish Bay: Grunau had nine top-10 finishes last year and ended the season with a 79.39 average. Bennett Knapek, sr., Arrowhead: Knapek averaged 75.94, helped the Warhawks finish fifth at the state tournament and was named first-team all-state by the WGCA. He recovered from a broken hand and finished in the top 5 in 11 of his 15 tournaments. He also finished in a tie for fourth individually at the state tournament. Robbie Morway, sr., Homestead: Morway was a second-team all-state selection after posting a 75.38 average and finishing sixth at the state tournament. He won the Brookfield Central “Best Ball” Invite, the Lake Country Charity Invite and three other North Shore Conference matches. Jack O’Brien, sr., Racine St. Catherine’s: The honorable-mention all-state performer won seven events in 2016 and finished the year with a 77.04 average. Harrison Ott, sr., Marquette: Ott, a Vanderbilt recruit, was the Journal Sentinel’s 2016 player of the year. He finished the season with a scoring average of 73.38 and was named first-team all-state by the Wisconsin Golf Coaches Association. Ott notched wins at the Hartford Invite and the Greater Metro Conference tournament. Ott won a regional championship and finished second in the WIAA Division 1 state meet. Josh Rowinski, jr., Catholic Memorial: Rowinski finished third individually at the WIAA Division 2 state tournament and helped the Crusaders win the team title. He also was third at regionals, averaged 80.65 and was an honorable mention all-state selection. Max Pasher, sr., Homestead: Pasher won two tourna- ments last year, including a regional, finished the year with a 78.79 average and was named honorable mention all-state. Nolan Ruffing, soph., Franklin: Ruffing was the Southeast Conference player of the year in 2016, the first time a freshman has won that award. He finished the season with a 79.91 average and earned honorable mention all-state honors. Alex Yost, jr., Arrowhead: Yost was a third-team allstate player who averaged 77.47 and was named firstteam all-Classic 8 Conference. He won the Ashenfelter Invite and finished second at both regionals and the Waukesha County Championships.
EVENTS TO WATCH Washington County Invite at Washington County Golf Course, 8:30 a.m. Saturday: A challenging field of 27 teams will provide an early measuring stick for some of the area's top teams and players. Brookfield Central Invite at Wanaki Golf Course, 1 p.m. April 26: Twenty-two teams, including Arrowhead, Marquette and Catholic Memorial, will compete in this mid-week showcase. The Kaz Invite at New Berlin Hills Golf Course, 8:30 a.m. April 29: Yost will be the top returning performer thanks to his second-place finish last season. Lake Country Charity Invitational at Western Lakes Golf Club, 9 a.m. May 13: Players will be raising money for the MAAC Fund in this high-quality event.
Journal Sentinel Sports Awards
Ready for the biggest night in high school sports? The inaugural Milwaukee Journal Sentinel High School Sports Awards will be held at 8 p.m. May 17 at the Pabst Theater. The red-carpet event will not only celebrate the area’s top performers but also honor athletes whose ability to overcome life’s hurdles show a value of high school sports beyond wins and losses. And Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson will be the guest speaker. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at pabsttheater.org/show/sportsawards2017. For more information about the show, go to sportsawards.jsonline.com.