Jason Witczak
Encyclopedia
Jason Witczak is an American Football
player. He is currently a free agent kicker
who most recently played for the Arizona Rattlers
of the Arena Football League. Witczak has also spent time on the rosters of the Tennessee Titans
and the Buffalo Bills
.
, safety and punter at Horace Mann High School in North Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, Witczak attended the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay and played on the golf
team. The school did not have a football
program and Witczak transferred to Marshall University
in 1998 to play both sports. He played his sophomore and junior seasons at Marshall University, where he was the long distance field goal
kicker, making a long of 46 yards.
Witczak then transferred to Southeast Missouri State University
, where he was named to the 2000 Football Gazette NCAA Division I-AA All American Team as a punter, where he had a nation-leading 41.3 net punting average. Witczak punted 48 times for 1983 yards and a 41.3 yard average with 15 punts inside the 20 yard line, also connecting on 5-9 field goals with a long of 44.
on a kickoff. He finished the game 3-of-5 extra point
s and 0-of-1 on field goals and was placed on injured reserve
for the rest of the 2004 season. He spend the 2005 preseason with the Rattlers, where he was released before the regular season began.
. He finished the season hitting 4-13 (30.8%) on FG's and 91.2% (103-113) on PAT's. His percentage on XPAT's tied him for 8th in the AFL.
. After the injury, Jason continued to kick field goals
, extra point
s and kickoffs
, making his last 3 extra point attempts in the game. Ironically, the ACL was the in the same leg where his initial ACL tear occurred during his first tenure with the Rattlers. He is currently on the Injured Reserve
list and will not play again this season.
.
Note: AFL Goal posts are nine-feet wide with a crossbar height of 15 feet (NFL goalposts are 18½ wide with the crossbar at 10 feet).
Witczak is also a professional golfer and has competed in numerous Mini-Tour events and PGA Section events. In 2004, Jason won the Titleist/Foot Joy Assistant Pro Championship. In October 2005, he qualified and played in the Taylor-Made/Adidas National Assistant PGA Championship. He also competed in the 2006 RE/MAX
World Long Drive Championship (WLDC), qualifying by winning both the local qualifier, backed by a 371 yard drive, and the district qualifier with a 342 yard launch. He made it to round five of seven. In the 2007 Remax World Long Drive, Jason finished 13th in the World with a drive of 404 yards.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. He is currently a free agent kicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
who most recently played for the Arizona Rattlers
Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
of the Arena Football League. Witczak has also spent time on the rosters of the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
and the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
College career
An all-conference wide receiverWide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
, safety and punter at Horace Mann High School in North Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, Witczak attended the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay and played on the golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
team. The school did not have a football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
program and Witczak transferred to Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
in 1998 to play both sports. He played his sophomore and junior seasons at Marshall University, where he was the long distance field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
kicker, making a long of 46 yards.
Witczak then transferred to Southeast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University, is a public, accredited university located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States, near the banks of the Mississippi River. The institution, having started as a normal school, has a traditional strength in teacher education...
, where he was named to the 2000 Football Gazette NCAA Division I-AA All American Team as a punter, where he had a nation-leading 41.3 net punting average. Witczak punted 48 times for 1983 yards and a 41.3 yard average with 15 punts inside the 20 yard line, also connecting on 5-9 field goals with a long of 44.
2004
Witczak began his AFL career as a midseason replacement for the Arizona Rattlers. During the 3rd quarter of his AFL first game, Jason suffered a season ending injury after tearing his ACLAnterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
on a kickoff. He finished the game 3-of-5 extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
s and 0-of-1 on field goals and was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
for the rest of the 2004 season. He spend the 2005 preseason with the Rattlers, where he was released before the regular season began.
2006
Witczak was signed as a midseason replacement for the Nashville Kats, where he played in 7 games, hitting 4-11 (36.4%) on FG's and 41-46 (89.1%) on PATs. During the Kats' 1st round playoff game, Witczak was a perfect 4-4 (all in the first half) on FG's and 3-4 on PATs in a losing effort.2007
Witczak broke a Kat's record for longest FG in a game, after hitting a 57 yard FG in a Week 1 loss to the Columbus DestroyersColumbus Destroyers
The Columbus Destroyers were an Arena Football League team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team was founded in as the Buffalo Destroyers, based in Buffalo, New York, and relocated to Columbus in . They folded along with the original incarnation of the AFL following the 2008 season, after a total of...
. He finished the season hitting 4-13 (30.8%) on FG's and 91.2% (103-113) on PAT's. His percentage on XPAT's tied him for 8th in the AFL.
2008
Witczak began the season 15-16 on PAT's and 0-2 on FG's before tearing the ACL in his kicking leg on a blocked 59 yard field goal attempt in week 3 vs. the San Jose SabercatsSan Jose SaberCats
The San Jose SaberCats are a professional arena football team in the Arena Football League. They began play as a 1995 expansion team. They played in the Western Division of the American Conference. Their final coach in the original Arena Football League was Darren Arbet, who will be a part of the...
. After the injury, Jason continued to kick field goals
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
, extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
s and kickoffs
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
, making his last 3 extra point attempts in the game. Ironically, the ACL was the in the same leg where his initial ACL tear occurred during his first tenure with the Rattlers. He is currently on the Injured Reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
list and will not play again this season.
2010
Witczak was 39 of 42 (93%) on PAT's 2 for 3 on field goals with a long of 45 yards before being replaced by Fabrizio ScacciaFabrizio Scaccia
Fabrizio Scaccia is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Arizona Rattlers as a street free agent in 2010...
.
Note: AFL Goal posts are nine-feet wide with a crossbar height of 15 feet (NFL goalposts are 18½ wide with the crossbar at 10 feet).
Golf career
Witczak is a certified golf teaching professional and has taught regularly from 2003 to 2009 in Phoenix at the JW Marriot Desert Ridge at Wildfire Golf Club and is currently a teaching professional at Adobe Dam Family Golf Center in Glendale, Arizona where he is a Class A PGA Professional.Witczak is also a professional golfer and has competed in numerous Mini-Tour events and PGA Section events. In 2004, Jason won the Titleist/Foot Joy Assistant Pro Championship. In October 2005, he qualified and played in the Taylor-Made/Adidas National Assistant PGA Championship. He also competed in the 2006 RE/MAX
RE/MAX
RE/MAX International is an international real estate company. It was founded in 1973 by David and Gail Liniger in Denver, Colorado, and is still owned by its founders. RE/MAX is an acronym for Real Estate MAXimum....
World Long Drive Championship (WLDC), qualifying by winning both the local qualifier, backed by a 371 yard drive, and the district qualifier with a 342 yard launch. He made it to round five of seven. In the 2007 Remax World Long Drive, Jason finished 13th in the World with a drive of 404 yards.