The Chicago Bears fandom has never forgotten the exploits of Dave Toub. His magnificent work with the special teams from 2004 to 2012 was some of the best in NFL history. He was the man who delivered Devin Hester to the world and uncovered Robbie Gould. Seeing the sorry state the special teams fell into after he left was hard. It would’ve been so nice if the team could’ve asked for his help in finding a new kicker the past several years. Alas the NFL doesn’t work that way. Luckily, they found Eddy Pineiro who seems to be what they’re looking for.
As it turns out though, Toub isn’t entirely out of the picture on this matter.
JJ Stakevitz of NBC Sports Chicago revealed that he got a text four months ago when the trade for Pineiro was announced. It was from a man named Brandon Kornblue. Most in the football business know him as one of the more respected kicking coaches. He runs a prominent camp that has helped several young specialists dating back to 2009. One of them was none other than Pineiro himself, who spent two years at the camp during his time at Florida.
“He. Is. The. Man,” kicking coach Brandon Kornblue texted NBC Sports Chicago. “He has the mental edge. Not afraid of anything.
“I think he is perfect for this situation.”
Dave Toub dipped into the Kornblue pool as well
It turns out the Bears weren’t the first team to place their fortunes in the hand of a kicker who worked with Kornblue. That honor went to none other than the Chiefs. They signed Harrison Butker out of Georgia Tech in 2017. He’s been among the most accurate kickers in the league since with 54-of-66 field goals made. Butker worked with Kornblue back in 2013. It speaks volumes that Toub was the man who recognized the talent and polish Butker had.
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Butker was Kornblue’s #1 ranked kicker that year. Pineiro was #1 in 2015. It’s safe to say the man has a fairly good eye for talent. Neither kicker has missed a field goal yet this season. If it’s good enough for Toub, it’s good enough for the Bears right? Pineiro recently claimed NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his outstanding performance in Denver. One that included two field goals from beyond 50 yards.
The last-second game-winner was from 53.
