Billy Cundiff, the Ravens' 29-year-old kicker, has already put plenty of stickers on his suitcase -- such is the nomadic life of a kicker.

Billy Cundiff (Sabina Moran/PressBox)

The former Drake (Iowa) University kicker originally came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 2002. One year later, he burst into the national consciousness when he booted a league-record-tying seven field goals in a single game, the last an overtime winner against the New York Giants.

Cundiff stayed with the Cowboys through the 2005 season and has since been with Green Bay, New Orleans, Atlanta, Kansas City, Detroit and Cleveland. The Atlanta and Kansas City stops came during a two-year period (2006-07) when he did not attempt any regular-season field goals.

While with the Browns this season, Cundiff was successful on all six field goal tries, including a 29-yarder against the Ravens that served as the Browns only points in a 34-3 loss.

When former Ravens kicker Steven Hauschka was waived, Cundiff was signed by the Ravens Nov. 18 and promptly booted five field goals in a loss to Indianapolis. In that same game, he missed a 30-yarder, his first career miss from 30 or fewer yards.

As a Raven, Cundiff went 12-for-17 in the regular season, having missed three of his last six kicks. To be fair, some of that was due to Matt Katula's inconsistent snapping. But even a rough patch like this is better than some of the other jobs he's had.

PressBox: What's the worst, or at least the most interesting, job you've had in between kicking jobs?
Billy Cundiff: I worked at Carter's Men's Clothes in Phoenix. I needed someplace [to work] after I had been released by the Packers that would give me the flexibility to train. I was thinking about taking my GCATs, so I was studying while I would work at night.

PB: So you consider yourself an expert in men's clothing?
BC: No, if you've seen how I dress. I do know what looks good, but I'm cheap so I don't spend the money it would take.

PB: You're 29 years old, but do you still get asked for ID wherever you go?
BC: Yeah, I do sometimes, but since I had my daughter (two years ago), I look a little tired now, more than I used to. Before my daughter came, I got carded a lot.

PB: How do you feel about those who disrespect kickers, saying "they're not real football players?"
BC: Respect is earned. You have to make big kicks. But let's be honest, the athletic ability of kickers has increased as the years have gone by, that's how you have to look at it.

A guy like (Miami Dolphins' early-'70s kicker) Garo Yepremian was this soccer guy, this little tiny guy on the field. I'm 6-foot-2, and you have guys like Hauschka, who was here before me, and guys around the league who are bigger and more athletic.

Eventually, [the stereotype] will go away. But because we don't wear the big pads and take as many hits at a very specialized position, you have to go with the cliché. It is what it is.

PB: What should people know about Iowa that maybe they don't already? (Cundiff was born in Harlan, Iowa.)
BC: The state of Iowa is not a place a lot of people visit unless you have family or friends there. But if you go there, the people are great, there's lots of good golfing, and there's lots of good high school athletics, which is what drives the state.

And if you can ever do RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa), that's got to be put on a list of one of the 50 things to do.

PB: What's better: seven field goals in a Monday-night game, or a quality moment with your 2-year-old?
BC: I'll take the 2-year-old any day. What she's given me, I can't explain. She's given me the proper perspective. Seven field goals is nice, hitting a game-winner in the playoffs is nice, but those things come and go. Football's very short-lived. Being a good parent, being there for my daughter, that's the most important thing in my life. And we've got a little boy coming in April!

Issue 145: January 2010