Here is everythingHouston Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn said following Houston’s preseason loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, including helping get new punter Kai Kroeger up to speed, working on field goals over 60 yards and how much his contract extension this offseason means to him.
Question: On what he has worked on this year and areas he feels like he has improved in
Ka’imi Fairbairn: “The technical stuff of kicking is always going to be there. I’m trying to sharpen my craft as much as I can. I did some things with my kicking coach just to sharpen up and get better for the few misses that I had last year. I am trying to get better at kickoffs, a more piercing ball flight. Just the regular steps you take every offseason to get better.”
Q: On how
much of a role he has in getting P Kai Kroeger up to speed
Fairbairn: “It is just him getting familiar with our operations and our culture. Frank [Ross] has done a great one of that. He has listened to what we have to say and getting up to speed really quickly. The main thing for him is just knowing our operation and our cadence and our rhythm. He has really quick hands, we play ping pong every day. That hand eye coordination, I like to say we work on that in our time off. I have enjoyed working with Kai a lot.”
Q: On if he feels more comfortable getting a new punter up to speed quickly
Fairbairn: “Yeah, you kind of know the things you have to highlight and emphasize whatever it is on gameday, especially. The communication: the less I have to think about his job or the snappers job, the better I am. So, just communicating all those little details at the beginning.”
Q: On if there are any differences considering he is younger than the veteran punters he has been with in years past
Fairbairn: “No, I wouldn’t say. He has held in college so is familiar with the job and he got good work last year. I wouldn’t say there is any problem.”
Q: On if he has any goal markers this year to where he would be able to tap Head Coach DeMeco Ryans on the shoulder and say he can make the kick
Fairbairn: “I don’t tap him on his shoulder, but he knows whatever he needs me to kick, I will give a rip. You see the range extending for kickers every year. So, getting stronger and not having to change my technique once you get to those farther distances has been my goal.”
Q: On if he is working on 60-plus yard field goals
Fairbairn: “Yeah, we have made a few, a couple of weeks passed, 63, 66 [yards].”
Q: On how kicking the soccer ball during warmups helps prepare him
Fairbairn: “To begin with, it is just fun. I enjoy it, that was a sport I played growing up so it is fun to get moving and my mind working in a different way. Then, just warming my hips up. Not having to kick a 50-yard ball, a 30-yard ball. I can start with short passes. That is really my purpose for it.”
Q: On what makes Special Teams Coordinator Frank Ross such a great coach
Fairbairn: “Frank is great for me because he challenges me and he puts me in uncomfortable situations to try and get me ready for game so that when the game comes along, I’m ready. He is not scared to communicate the hard way, which I appreciate. He coaches me hard and that is all that I can ask for.”
Q: On what it means to him to get his contract extension and have the organizing believe in him so much
Fairbairn: “It is everything. This is home. I have been here 10 years now and what the [Chair and Chief Executive Officer Cal and Chief Community Officer and Vice President of the Houston Texans Foundation Hannah] McNairs, what [General Manager] Nick [Caserio] has done, what DeMeco has done, is incredible. So going through the stages of Texans, where we were good, then we were bad, and now we are fighting for a Super Bowl. All I want to do is win here. I am happy to be here for an extended amount of time and I am just going to put my head down and go to work.”
Q: On how he and Special Teams Coordinator Frank Ross balance resting him but also making sure he is prepared for the season during preseason games
Fairbairn: “We have an open dialogue about those kind of things. He presented it to me and I said it would be an advantage for me to just take that game off. I was warm for the first half, then kind of build that volume of kicks and I appreciated it. It was a huge bonus for me. So props to him, thank you.”
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Everything Texans K Ka'imi Fairbairn said following Houston's preseason loss versus Raiders
