Layton ready for second shot
BURNT HILLS» He didn’t make the cut at his fifirst rookie camp tryout, but Burnt Hills native and former Temple punter Paul Layton remains optimistic about his future of competing in the National Football League.
The 2008 Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School graduate recently returned from rookie minicamp with the Green Bay Packers, where he and 27 other NFL hopefuls competed for two available spots on the 90-man offsea-son roster.
Although he came up short, Layton earned high praise from his peers and said the experience was very valuable.
“I was really happy with how I did, I got really good feedback from the special teams coach and one of the head scouts, and I talked to my agent after and they said they
were actually surprised by how well I performed,” Layton said. “It was definitely a good experience, just to get some experience at that level and perform well like I did.”
Layton punted for UAl-bany for three years prior to playing for Temple University as a graduate student in the fall of 2013.
He spent this past winter training full-time in preparation for the NFL Draft, which occurred from May 8 to May 10. On the last night of the draft, surrounded by family and friends, Layton waited for a phone call from an NFL team only to feel the misfortune of hundreds of athletes whose name doesn’t get selected every year.
Three hours after the draft ended, however, Layton received a call from his agent that the Packers had invited Layton to attend their minicamp.
“It was an unbelievable feeling to get the call and the news that I was headed to Green Bay, just the fact that I would be on the field with an NFL team was a dream come true,” he said. “I was so overtaken by emotion and it was a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
Layton flew out to Wisconsin on May 15 for tryouts at the Packers’ facility that same weekend.
Special teams coach Shawn Slocum worked with Layton in addition to a kicker and a long snapper, putting the trio through var- ious workouts on Friday and Saturday morning that were followed by film sessions.
“I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the situation I was in, we just went straight into it so I was happy with everything that was thrown at me,” Layton said. “They were very fair with their tryouts, they looked at everyone and gave everyone a chance.”
Layton impressed Slocum so much that Slocum promised his recommendation to other NFL squads.
When Layton wasn’t participating in workouts, he was soaking in the aura of historic Lambeau Field as well as becoming familiar with the Packers landscape.
“It seems like the whole organization was full of tremendous people,” he said. “You can tell why Green Bay has been so successful over the years, they have such a rich tradition. I think it was probably the perfect team to try out for.”
Layton is currently residing in his hometown of Burnt Hills, where he is training full-time and waiting for another opportunity to try out with an NFL team.
“I’m really just on the market now waiting for calls from any team to either be signed or try out, so playing the waiting game,” he said.
Despite not making the cut the first time around, Layton will continue to chase his dream of playing professional football.
“Looking forward I just need to keep training and always be ready, you never know when that call can come and you just have to be prepared.”