Adam Podlesh (born August 11, 1983) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

punter. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

for the

Maryland Terrapins The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 19 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divis ...

, and is the only player in school history to be on the All-

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...

team for four years. His punting average of 43.1 yards ranks second in school history. He played for the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...

and

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

in his professional career.

Early life

High school football career

Podlesh, who is Jewish, is a graduate of

Pittsford Sutherland High School Pittsford Sutherland High School is a public high school in suburban Rochester, Monroe County in upstate New York. In 2021, the school was ranked in the top 2 percent (#319 nationwide; #36 in New York) in '' U.S. News & World Report''s annual evalu ...

Pittsford, New York Pittsford is a town in Monroe County, New York. A suburb of Rochester, its population was 30,617 at the time of the 2020 census. The Town of Pittsford (formerly part of the town of Northfield) was settled in 1789 and incorporated in 1796. The ...

and is a three-time

letterman Letterman may refer to: * Letterman (sports), a classification of high school or college athlete in the United States People * David Letterman (born 1947), American television talk show host ** ''Late Night with David Letterman'', talk show that ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

. Podlesh also played defense and offense for Pittsford Sutherland. On defense, he recorded 92 tackles and five sacks. On offense, he recorded 638 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.

Track and field

Podlesh was also a standout athlete for the

track team. He posted the fastest

200 metres The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...

and

400 metres The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics (sport), athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor runn ...

times in New York state in his junior year, with times of 21.58 seconds and 50.5 seconds, respectively. He also ran the third leg of the state title-winning

4 x 100 metres relay 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...

team in 2000.

College career

He played

for the

. He spent his freshman year on the

scout team The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see ''Glossary of Canadian football''. 0–9 ...

. He is the only player in school history to be on the All-

team for four years. In Podlesh's 48 games played at Maryland, he punted 216 times for 9,314 yards, which ranks fifth in school history (behind Dan DeArmas, Dale Castro, Russ Edwards, and Darryl Wright). His punting average of 43.1 yards ranks behind

Brooks Barnard Brooks Alexander Barnard (born November 4, 1979) is an American football punter. He played professional football for the New England Patriots in the National Football League (NFL) and for the Rhein Fire in the NFL Europe. He played college foot ...

in school history. He had 83 of his attempts land inside the 20-yard line, with 35 of them landing inside the 10-yard line.

2003 season

As a freshman at the University of Maryland, Podlesh appeared in all 12 regular season games and the bowl game for the

Terrapins Terrapins are one of several small species of turtle (order Testudines) living in fresh or brackish water. Terrapins do not form a taxonomic unit and may not be closely related. Many belong to the families Geoemydidae and Emydidae. The name " ...

. On August 28, 2003, in the season opener against

Northern Illinois Northern Illinois is a region generally covering the northern third of the U.S. state of Illinois. The region is by far the most populous of Illinois with nearly 9.7 million residents as of 2010. Economics Northern Illinois is dominated by th ...

, Podlesh had a season-high eight punts for a season-high net of 363 yards in the 20–13 loss. In the

Gator Bowl The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, operated by Gator Bowl Sports. It has been held continuously since 1946, making it the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised natio ...

against

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

, Podlesh had two punts for 67 yards in the 41–7 victory. Overall, in his freshman season, Podlesh had 53 punts for 2,241 yards for a 42.3 average.

2004 season

As a sophomore, Podlesh appeared in 11 regular season games. On October 9, 2004, against

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

, Podlesh had a then-career high nine punts for a then-career high 448 net yards in the 20–7 loss. In the following week against

NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...

, Podlesh set career highs with 11 punts for 497 net yards in the 13–3 loss. In the 2004 season, Podlesh had 63 punts for 2,756 yards for a 43.7 average.

2005 season

As a junior, Podlesh appeared in 11 regular season games. On September 24, 2005, against Wake Forest, Podlesh had a season-high 298 net yards on six punts in the 22–12 victory. Overall, in the 2005 season, Podlesh had 44 punts for 1,918 yards for a 43.6 average. In recognition of his successful season, Podlesh was named to the ''

Jewish Sports Review ''Jewish Sports Review (JSR)'' is a bi-monthly magazine that was established in 1997. Its editors are Ephraim Moxson and Shel Wallman. The magazine identifies which star and professional athletes are Jewish. It also covers and has all-time lists ...

''’s 2005 College Football All-America Team.

2006 season

Podlesh set the school record for a punter in the spring with a 4.44 time in the

40-yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...

in 2006 spring training, which earned him the Iron Terp Award. As a senior, Podlesh appeared in all 12 regular season games and the bowl game. On November 11, 2006, against

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, Podlesh had a season-high 332 net yards on eight punts in the 14–13 victory. On December 29, in the

Champs Sports Bowl The Pop-Tarts Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at Camping World Stadium. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Citrus Bowl and the Florida Classi ...

, Podlesh had four punts for 157 net yards in the 24–7 victory. Overall, in the 2006 season, Podlesh had 56 punts for 2,400 yards for a 42.9 average.

Collegiate statistics

Professional career

Jacksonville Jaguars

2007 season

Podlesh was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft with the 101st overall pick. In his rookie season, Podlesh appeared in all 16 regular season games and two playoff games. On September 9, in his NFL debut against the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

, Podlesh had five punts for 211 net yards in the 13–10 loss at

EverBank Field TIAA Bank Field is an American football stadium located in Jacksonville, Florida, that primarily serves as the home facility of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) and the headquarters of the professional wrestling prom ...

. Against the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

, Podlesh had eight punts for a season-high 364 net yards in the 24–23 victory. Podlesh would make his playoff debut against the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

in the Wild Card Round of the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

. In the 31–29 victory, he had four punts for 200 net yards. The next week, the Jaguars faced off against the 16–0

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

in the Divisional Round. In the 31–20 defeat, Podlesh had one punt for 50 yards. Although this was only his rookie season, Podlesh would never appear in another playoff game. Overall, in the 2007 season, Podlesh had 54 punts for 2,249 net yards for a 41.65 average.

2008 season

On June 2, 2008, he was elected to the Rochester Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He was participating in the Jaguars OTA workouts, so his grandmother, Betty Podlesh, accepted the honor for him. In the 2008 season, Podlesh appeared in 11 games. Against the

in the season opener on September 7, Podlesh had six punts for 222 net yards in the 17–10 loss. In another game with the Titans on November 16, Podlesh had 10 punts for a career-high 409 net yards in the 24–14 loss. Overall, in the 2008 season, Podlesh had 46 punts for 1,989 yards for a 43.24 average.

2009 season

In the 2009 season, Podlesh appeared in all 16 regular season games. Against the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

in the season opener on September 13, Podlesh had five punts for 189 net yards in the 14–12 loss at

Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the National Football League (NFL)'s Indianapolis Colts and opened on August 16, 2008. The stadium was ...

. Against the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

in Week 5, Podlesh had a season-high 371 net yards on eight punts in the 41–0 loss. Against the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...

in Week 13, Podlesh had three punts for 148 net yards for a season-high 49.33 average. Overall, in the 2009 season, Podlesh had 72 punts for 3,017 yards for a 41.90 average.

2010 season

In 2010, Podlesh was diagnosed with cancer of the

salivary gland The salivary glands in mammals are exocrine glands that produce saliva through a system of ducts. Humans have three paired major salivary glands (parotid, submandibular, and sublingual), as well as hundreds of minor salivary glands. Salivary gla ...

, but following successful surgery he was told that

radiation therapy Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, often abbreviated RT, RTx, or XRT, is a therapy using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells and normally delivered by a linear accelerator. Radia ...

and

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherap ...

would not be required, and he returned to the field after six weeks, not missing any playing time. In the 2010 season, Podlesh appeared in all 16 regular season games. Against the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

in the season opener on September 12, Podlesh had four punts for 165 net yards in the 24–17 victory. Against the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

in Week 3, Podlesh had a season-high 384 net yards on eight punts in the 28–3 loss. Against the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

in Week 8, Podlesh had five punts for 242 net yards for a season-high 48.40 average in the 35–17 victory at

Cowboys Stadium AT&T Stadium, formerly Cowboys Stadium, is a retractable-roof stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. It serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL), and was completed on May 27, 2009. It is also the hom ...

. Overall, in the 2010 season, Podlesh had 57 punts for 2,496 yards for a 43.79 average.

Chicago Bears

2011 season

On July 29, 2011, Podlesh signed with the Chicago Bears, who had released veteran

Brad Maynard Bradley Alan Maynard (born February 9, 1974) is a former American football Punter (football), punter. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft, and has also been a member of the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, ...

. In the 2011 season, Podlesh appeared in all 16 regular season games. Against the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...

in the season opener on September 11, Podlesh had six punts for 288 net yards in his Bears debut at

Soldier Field Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since 1 ...

as the Bears won 30–12. Against the

in Week 14, Podlesh had a career-high 11 punts for a career-high 526 net yards in the 13–10 loss. Against the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

, Podlesh had a season high 49.00 yards per punt average in the 35–21 loss. Overall, in the 2011 season, Podlesh had 89 punts for 3,903 yards for a 43.85 average. Podlesh recorded a 40.4 yard net average in the 2011 season, the best average by a Chicago Bear since

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

, despite injuries to special teamers Patrick Mannelly, Brian Iwuh, Kyle Adams, and Anthony Walters, as well as

Chris Conte Christopher Michael Conte (born February 23, 1989) is a former American football safety. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at California. Early life Conte attended Loyola ...

Major Wright Major Wright (born July 1, 1988) is a former American football Safety (American and Canadian football position), safety. He played college football for the Florida Gators football, University of Florida, and was a member of a BCS National Champi ...

, and

Kahlil Bell Kahlil Edward Bell (born December 10, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football at UCLA. Bell was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He was also played for the Chicago Bears, N ...

becoming starters, and

Sam Hurd Samuel George Hurd, III (born April 24, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver and convicted drug dealer. He was in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears, and played college football at Northern I ...

getting released. His 43.85 yard gross average was the best of his career, and was the third highest in team history, behind

Todd Sauerbrun Todd Scott Sauerbrun (; born January 4, 1973) is a former American college and professional American football, football player who was a punter (American football), punter in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. He played col ...

's 44.8 in

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

and

's 44.2 in

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

2012 season

In the second game of the 2012 preseason, Podlesh left the game with a left hip flexor that he sustained while attempting to tackle

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

returner

Brandon Banks Brandon Desean Banks (born December 21, 1987) is an American Canadian football wide receiver and return specialist who is currently a free agent. He was most recently a member of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He wa ...

, who eventually returned the punt 91 yards for a touchdown. Podlesh was replaced by

Ryan Quigley Ryan Andrew Quigley (born January 26, 1990) is a former American football Punter (football), punter. He was signed by the Chicago Bears after going undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football at Boston College Eagles football, Bos ...

for the third game against the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

. Though he was listed as "Probable", Podlesh would be ready for the regular season opener. In the 2012 season, Podlesh appeared in all 16 regular season games. Against the

in the season opener at home on September 9, Podlesh had five punts for 208 net yards in the 41–21 victory. In Week 2, against the

, Podlesh had a season-high 46.80 yards per punt average in the 23–10 loss. In Week 12 against the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

, Podlesh faked the extra point, and ran it in for a two-point conversion. In Week 16, against the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

, Podlesh had nine punts for a season-high 394 net yards in the 28–13 victory. Overall, in the 2012 season, Podlesh had 81 punts for 3,399 yards for a 41.96 average. During the season, Podlesh averaged 42 yards per punt with a maximum hang time of 5.1 seconds, along with his longest punt going 64 yards.

2013 season

In the 2013 season, Podlesh appeared in all 16 regular season games. Against the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

in the season opener at home on September 8, Podlesh had five punts for 232 net yards in the 24–21 victory. In Week 3, against the

, Podlesh had a season-high 282 net yards on six punts in the 40–23 victory. Against the

in Week 7 at

FedExField FedExField (originally Jack Kent Cooke Stadium) is an American football stadium located in Summerfield, Maryland, east of Washington, D.C. The stadium is the home of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). From 2004 un ...

, Podlesh had a season-high 49.00 yards per punt average in the 45–41 loss. Overall, in the 2013 season, Podlesh had 68 punts for 2,763 yards for a 40.63 average. On March 5, 2014, Podlesh was released by the Bears.

Pittsburgh Steelers

On April 15, 2014, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Podlesh to a one-year deal. He was placed on the team's reserve/did not report list on August 12 and was released by the team on September 30, 2014.

Personal life

Podlesh is married to Miranda Keating, with whom he has a daughter, born October 2012, and a son, born July 2014. Miranda's second pregnancy was complicated by

placental abruption Placental abruption is when the placenta separates early from the uterus, in other words separates before childbirth. It occurs most commonly around 25 weeks of pregnancy. Symptoms may include vaginal bleeding, lower abdominal pain, and dangerou ...

and heart failure.

References

External links

*
Maryland Terrapins bioRochester Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Podlesh, Adam 1983 births Living people American football punters Chicago Bears players Jacksonville Jaguars players Jewish American sportspeople Maryland Terrapins football players People from Pittsford, New York Pittsburgh Steelers players Players of American football from New York (state) Sportspeople from Rochester, New York 21st-century American Jews