Jack Podlesny
American football player (born 2000)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jack Morgan Podlesny (born March 16, 2000) is an American football placekicker. He played college football at Georgia. Nicknamed "Hot Pod",[1] he was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year in 2022.[2]
St. Simons Island, Georgia, U.S.
| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | Placekicker |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 16, 2000 St. Simons Island, Georgia, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Glynn Academy (Brunswick, Georgia) |
| College | Georgia (2018–2022) |
| NFL draft | 2023: undrafted |
| Career history | |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life
Podlesny attended Glynn Academy in Brunswick, Georgia. In his senior year, Podlesny converted on nine of his ten field goal tries, while making 49 of his 51 point-after-tries.[3][4] Despite offers from schools such as Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Michigan, Podlesny walked on at the University of Georgia.[5]
College career
In 2018, Podlesny redshirted, and the following year, he was the backup to Rodrigo Blankenship. In 2020, Podlesny became Georgia's starting kicker. During the season, Podlesny made 13 field goals out of 16 attempts, while making all of his 38 point-after-tries.[6][7] As a result, Podlesny was named a semi-finalist for the Lou Groza Award.[8] During the 2021 Peach Bowl, Podlesny hit a career-long 53-yard go-ahead field goal with 0:03 seconds remaining.[9] The kick was the longest field goal in Peach Bowl history and Podlesny was named the game's MVP for his efforts.[10][11][12] After the game, Podlesny was awarded a scholarship.[13] In 2021, Podlesny went 22 of 27 on field goal attempts.[14] During the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship, Podlesny recorded two field goals including a season-high 49-yard field goal in a 33–18 victory.[15] During Podlesny's redshirt senior season, he converted 23 out of 26 field goals, being named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year and the All-SEC First-Team.[2][16]
After Georgia won the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship, Podlesny played in the 2023 Hula Bowl.[17] He led the NCAA in scoring for the season with 151 points.[18]
College statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the NCAA | |
| Bold | Career high |
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0+3⁄8 in (1.84 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 29+5⁄8 in (0.75 m) | 9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) | |||||||||
| All values from NFL Combine[19][20] | ||||||||||||
Minnesota Vikings
Podlesny signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2023.[21] On August 17, 2023, Podlesny was waived by the Vikings.[22][23]
Green Bay Packers
On January 24, 2024, Podlesny signed with the Green Bay Packers.[24] On June 19, 2024, Podlesny was released by the Packers.[25]