Czech was successful last season. He converted 16 of 19 field-goal attempts, including three of five from 40-49 yards and two of three from 50 or beyond. His longest was from 56 yards.
Czech has shown that he can modify his game. He is tall for a kicker at 6 feet 5. That long stride appeared to make his approach to the ball longer than needed.
In the NFL, seconds matter. Czech shortened his approach after one day with Ravens special teams coach Jerry Rosburg.
"I had to shorten my distance if I wanted to stay here and be an impact player," Czech said. "As soon as I got here and took my first kick, Jerry's eyes lit up and he was staring at me.
"I went back to my room that day and then went outside to make the changes. Any kind of change throws you off until you gain the confidence, but it has helped my accuracy."
Czech is living out a dream. His parents and three brothers moved to the United States from Olesnica, Poland, in late 1987. Czech played soccer until one of his older brothers talked him into kicking before his junior year at Keyport High in New Jersey.
Czech made the switch because he knew he would be attending college at the same time as one of his brothers and that it would mean financial hardship for the family.
Instead, Czech got a scholarship to play football at Wagner, where he set numerous records. He was a long shot to make the Ravens roster, but accuracy on field goals has increased his chances.
"So far, everything is looking real good right now," Czech said. "I can't ask for anything more than I've done. I'm making all my field goals, staying on point, working out and staying in shape. This is something I had to do to help my family out, and I'm on the boat for dreaming big. I plan to stay with it and see where it takes me."
mike.preston@baltsun.com
