Kickers are people, too. Some of them are also hitters.
Hard hitters.
Carey Spear is one of two kickers on the Cleveland Browns' roster, and as his college tape shows, he has absolutely no fear of contact. In fact, he gained notoriety while at Vanderbilt (2010-13) for his hits as much as his clutch kicks.
For example:
"I just put my head down and run, man," Spear told ClevelandBrowns.com. The 23-year-old signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in May 2014 and was waived in August. He signed with the Browns in December.
Spear's accuracy on field goals will likely determine whether he wins a job with the Browns or not, but it has to be nice for the coaching staff to know that with Spear, they'll have a solid last line of defense should a kickoff returner get past the coverage team.
Could Spear be the NFL's hardest-hitting kicker? Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee, not one to shy away from contact himself, says not so fast.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.