Kicker handles winds of change
The tricky winds at Levi’s Stadium can give placekickers ulcers, but Robbie Gould has a stomach of steel.
The new 49ers kicker’s strength comes from spending 11 seasons employed in Chicago (fairly well-known nickname: Windy City), where the Bears play near the shores of Lake Michigan. Gould quickly learned about kicking in crummy conditions as a rookie: In 2005, Gould, in his sixth NFL game, was part of a 17-9 win over the 49ers at Soldier Field that featured gale-force gusts.
“There were like 55-mileper-hour winds,” Gould said. “I think I got blown over. (Defensive tackle) Anthony Adams still gives me a lot of grief for it.”
Gould was upstaged that day: The 49ers’ Joe Nedney made 3 of 4 field-goal attempts (“Probably the best kicking performance I’ve ever seen,” Gould said), and Gould made 1 of 2 tries, missing a 39-yarder.
However, Gould has generally excelled throughout his 12-year career. And his impressive resume explains why the 49ers could seamlessly transition from his predecessor, Phil Dawson, who signed with the Cardinals last Friday, the same day Gould was signed by the 49ers.
The simultaneous signings were fitting, given how much Dawson, 42, and Gould, 35, have in common. Both were undrafted and spent part of their first NFL season with New England, where they learned from Adam Vinatieri. They subsequently established themselves among the most accurate kickers in NFL history despite working for more than a decade in frigid Midwestern cities that feature lakefront stadiums.
Dawson, who signed with the 49ers in 2013 after 14 seasons in Cleveland, was the 2015 team MVP and made 86.1 percent (99 of 115) of his attempts during his tenure. Gould arrives ranked seventh in NFL history in field-goal percentage (85.9) — four spots ahead of Dawson (84.5).
How have they done it? Gould said kicking in inclement weather has its advantages.
“I think it just teaches you to grow up faster,” Gould said. “If you go to a dome, or you go to a place that has warm weather, you can kind of get away with not hitting the ball as clean. Or not being as competitive with yourself every day.”
Now, the 49ers hope Gould can mimic the success Dawson had in Santa Clara.
The 49ers were interested in re-signing Dawson, but he wanted a contract in keeping with the $3.1 million he earned last season. In addition, the chance to get closer to his family in Austin, Texas, was also attractive. The Cardinals signed Dawson to a two-year, $6 million deal with $1.5 million guaranteed, the Houston Chronicle reported. Gould signed a two-year, $4 million deal with $1 million guaranteed with the 49ers.
Last year, the Bears cut Gould before the season. He was due to earn a $3 million base salary and had a $500,000 roster bonus.
“It’s not necessarily about performance,” Gould said. “They made a decision to go in a different direction. … I’m happy for the guys in the locker room because it led to some of those guys getting new contracts.”
Gould made the best of it. He signed with the Giants in October and made 12 of 12 field-goal attempts, including the playoffs.
A few months later, Gould, who once enjoyed career stability, is ready for a new beginning. And the 49ers’ latest old-man kicker said reconnecting with the team’s new general manager, John Lynch, 45, has made him laugh about his longevity. In 2006, after his second season, Gould hung out in Hawaii with Lynch, who was near the end of his 15-year career.
“This will be my 13th year, which is crazy,” Gould said. “I played in a Pro Bowl with John — sitting around a pool, drinking mai tais with his dad . ... Everything just kind of comes full circle.”