Case deBruijn

Case deBruijn was born on April 11, 1960, in The Hague, Netherlands.[1] He was taught by his father, a well-known amateur soccer player, how to kick a soccer ball as a toddler.[2] When young, his family moved to America, settling in a suburban community in Washington.[2] He attended Stonewall Jackson High School in Virginia, where he played running back as well as placekicker and punter, earning all-county or all-district honors in three consecutive seasons.[2][3]

DeBruijn's high school coach, impressed by his kicking, sent several letters to college coaches about deBruijn after the latter graduated from the school.[2] One letter reached Tom Jewell, an assistant football coach at Idaho State University, who gave deBruijn a tryout.[2] He performed well enough in his tryout to be invited to stay as a walk-on.[2] By the middle of his freshman year, 1978, he was doing well enough to start at both punter and placekicker.[2] DeBruijn ended up earning first-team all-conference honors that year, the first of three times he would be given that honor.[4] He was the 1978 national runner-up in average yards per-punt.[5]

DeBruijn again was runner-up in punting average as a sophomore, but the 1979 Idaho State Bengals football team compiled a 0–11 record and deBruijn missed the all-conference team for the only time in his collegiate career.[2][5] As a junior, deBruijn led the United States with a 48 yards-per-punt average and was named first-team all-conference at both punter and kicker.[2][5][4] An honorable mention All-American, deBruijn began receiving attention from pro scouts at this time.[2]

As a senior in 1981, deBruijn helped the Bengals compile a 12–1 record and capture the Division I-AA national championship, leading the nation in punting with a 45.9 average, the third highest in FCS/I-AA history, and earning first-team All-America honors as well as first-team all-conference honors.[2][5][4] He was ranked the number two punter/placekicker entering the 1982 NFL Draft only behind Rohn Stark from Florida State.[2] "It seemed that all kinds of people were interested in me," deBruijn said.[2] "Teams were sending scouts out to watch me and [quarterback Mike] Machurek and asking for film. By the time of the draft, I knew I would be the second punter picked – and I was pretty sure it would be Kansas City that picked me."[2] He finished his college career as the all-time conference leader in punts (with 256), punting yards (with 11,184), and highest average per-punt (43.7).[6]

The Kansas City Chiefs ended up selecting deBruijn with the 214th overall pick in the eighth round of the 1982 NFL Draft.[7] He officially signed his rookie contract, a one-year deal, on July 1.[8] In training camp, deBruijn, a three-step kicker, was able to make several 60-yard kicks, after which he was taken aside by the coaching staff.[2] "They told me my leg looked good, but that they wanted a two-step kicker," he said.[2] "In the NFL, the emphasis is on doing anything to keep from getting a kick blocked. I just couldn't hack it."[2] He was released at the final roster cuts on August 31, losing the position battle to Jeff Gossett.[6]

DeBruijn was one of three punters who attended a Houston Oilers tryout on December 2.[9] He was not signed, with John James receiving the Oilers' punting job.[10] DeBruijn was re-signed by the Chiefs in mid-December, four days before their game against the Denver Broncos, after the team released Gossett.[2][11] "They brought me in four days before the game and said, 'OK, you're our punter.' I was nervous, but I felt all right," he said.[2] In the game, played on December 19, deBruijn attempted five punts, going for just 174 yards, a 34.8 average.[12] One of his kicks was returned by Rick Upchurch for a touchdown.[2] His longest punt went for 56 yards.[13] His play was considered such a "disaster" that, shortly after the match, Kansas City released deBruijn and re-signed Gossett.[2][14]

DeBruijn went through six months of sporadic tryouts until in March 1983, after a successful tryout with the Atlanta Falcons, he was given another NFL contract.[2] He was confident in camp, saying "I felt that I was going to have a chance. I kicked all right, they cut some other punters and I was feeling pretty confident until they called me in an told me I was being cut. I couldn't believe it."[2] His release was made on August 1.[15] Afterwards, he was signed by the New Orleans Saints, only to be released on August 29 during roster cuts.[16]

After being released by the Saints, deBruijn moved to back to Virginia with his wife, intending to give the NFL one more shot in 1984.[2] "My life was just in limbo," he said.[2] "I couldn't go get a job, because I couldn't tell an employer on a few hours' notice, 'sorry, I won't be here tomorrow and the next day because I've got a tryout with the Patriots.' So I moved back home and went to work for my dad. I decided that if I didn't make it in 1984, I'd forget about football."[2]

In February 1984, deBruijn received a surprise call from the Oklahoma Outlaws of the United States Football League (USFL), who gave him a contract.[2] "They brought me in with a few other guys, like they did in the NFL, only after a while I found that I was the [only] one left. They told me the job was mine and they just let me go out and kick."[2] He was the team's punter for most of the season, appearing in 16 out of 18 games and punting 75 times for 3,028 yards, an average of 40.4 per-kick.[13] DeBruijn recorded 21 punts inside the 20 and had nine touchbacks, with a long punt of 66 yards.[13]

DeBruijn continued as Outlaws' punter for the 1985 season, as the team moved to Arizona and was renamed to the Arizona Outlaws.[17] He was the only player to punt for the team that year, appearing in all 18 games.[13][17] He punted a total of 65 times during the season, with his kicks going for 2,765 yards, an average of 42.5 yards per-kick.[13] He had a long punt of 79 yards and kicked 22 inside the 20 as well as eight touchbacks.[13] He also made one rush which gained eight yards.[13] DeBruijn signed a new contract with Arizona in August 1985;[18] however, the league folded before the 1986 season was to begin, ending his professional football career.[19]

After his football career, deBruijn moved to Elko, Nevada, and became an employee of the mining company Newmont.[20] He also was a volunteer kicking coach for Elko High School.[21]

DeBruijn was on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot in 2014[22] and again in 2022.[5]