Michael Koenen

Michael J. Koenen (born July 13, 1982) is an American football punter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Western Washington.

Early years
Koenen attended Ferndale High School in Ferndale, Washington, and was a letterman in football, basketball, and soccer. In football, he won All-Northwest League honors as a senior.

College career
Koenen played college football for Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, and is one of only three NFL players in history to have played football for that school. While there, he received numerous Division II All-American honors from sources such as Street & Smith, Lindy's Football Annuals, Don Hanen's Football Gazette, Daktronics, Inc., and D2football.com, as well as being recognized by the NCAA. He was also named a Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) all-star four times as a placekicker and twice as a punter. He ended his college career as the Western Washington University, GNAC, and Northwest small college all-time leader in kicking scoring with 272 points, including 43 field goals and 143 PATs. He participated in the 2005 Cactus Bowl.

Atlanta Falcons
Koenen signed a two-year free agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons on April 26, 2005. He went on to edge out veteran punter Toby Gowin, who had also signed a free agent deal that offseason, for the starting job with the Falcons. He appeared in all sixteen regular season games for the Falcons, punting 78 times for 3,300 yards, which was good for a 42.3 yards per punt average and ninth in the NFC. He also served as the team's kickoff specialist and was seventh in the NFC in yards per kickoff. His 14 touchbacks put him behind only Pro Bowler Neil Rackers.

In the Falcons' October 9, 2005 game against the New England Patriots, they had the ball on New England's 41 yard line with six seconds remaining in the first half. Since regular placekicker Todd Peterson's range was insufficient to attempt a field goal from that distance, Falcons head coach Jim Mora turned to Koenen. Koenen actually attempted the kick, the first field goal attempt in his pro career, twice. Prior to the initial snap, Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel called a timeout. Koenen heard the referee's whistle but still kicked the field goal. It landed right of the goalpost. A few moments later, Koenen attempted the kick again, and this time made an official 58 yard field goal. It was the longest field goal of Koenen's career at any level, tied for the ninth longest in NFL history (as well as the single longest in the 2005 season), and was the third longest in history by an undrafted kicker.

In the Falcons' first preseason game of 2006, Koenen made four field goals, from 53, 50, 40, and 45 yards, along with doing the punting and kickoff duties. Koenen was slated to do the placekicking, punting, and kickoffs for the Falcons, something that is rarely done in the NFL by one player; however after he converted only two of eight field goal attempts, Morten Andersen was brought in to take over field goal duties leaving Koenen to focus on punts and kickoffs for the Falcons.

Koenen returned solely as the Falcons' punter; the club signed Billy Cundiff to handle the other kicking duties. Cundiff was released before the season; Matt Prater was signed but also released after a short while, and the placekicking was again done by Andersen.

A restricted free agent in the 2008 offseason, Koenen was tendered a one-year, $1.417 million contract by the Falcons. He re-signed on April 14.

A free agent in the 2009 offseason, the Falcons placed the franchise tag on Koenen on February 9. He signed the one-year, $2.48 million tender offer on February 13.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Koenen was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a six-year, $19.5-million contract on July 29, 2011.

Personal
Koenen has been married to Devin Koenen since July 14, 2006. He majored in general studies.