GREEN BAY – The Packers have acquired punter Corey Bojorquez in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams.
Bojorquez, 24, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Buffalo Bills and has a 45.9-yard average on 165 career punts with 74 punts inside the 20 over 40 NFL games.
Here are five things to know about Green Bay's new punter:
1. Bojorquez had an impressive summer in Los Angeles.
Bojorquez (6-0, 208) signed with the Rams in April to compete with four-time All-Pro punter Johnny Hekker. It was a homecoming for Bojorquez, a Long Beach, Calif., native who attended Mayfair High School in Lakewood before spending two years at Cerritos Junior College in nearby Norwalk. Bojorquez had a strong preseason with the Rams, finishing with a 51.9-yard net average and landing four of his seven punts inside the 20. During last Saturday's preseason finale against the Denver Broncos, Bojorquez used Mile High's altitude to his advantage in booming a 70-yard punt in the third quarter that went out of bounds at the Broncos' 1-yard line.
2. He got his first big NFL break with Buffalo in 2018.
While Bojorquez broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with New England in 2018, he got his biggest break once the Patriots cut him after training camp. The following day, the Bills claimed Bojorquez off waivers and made him their starting punter. He held the job for three seasons. Last year, Bojorquez led the NFL in gross punting average (50.8), which tied for fourth best in league history. His net average (44.0) was good for fifth among qualifying punters. Bojorquez also bombed a career-long 72-yard punt last October against the Tennessee Titans, which tied for longest punt in the NFL last season, and he received two All-Pro votes in the Associated Press balloting.
3. Bojorquez kicks with his left foot, but is right-handed.
You read that right. While Bojorquez punts the ball with his left foot, he is indeed right-handed. Bojorquez served as the holder on field goals in both Buffalo and Los Angeles.
4. He took the long road to NFL stardom.
Bojorquez was an all-state punter at Mayfield. He averaged 46.5 yards per punt as a senior with a long of 80 yards. Wanting to increase his Division I profile, Bojorquez elected to go the junior-college route and play at Cerritos College. He averaged 41.0 yards per punt in two seasons with 22 punts inside the 20-yard line. Bojorquez later transferred to New Mexico, where he averaged 45.1 yards on his 116 punts over 25 college games.
5. Bojorquez is an ordained minister.
During an interview with ABC50's Nick Filpowski in 2018, Bojorquez credited reality TV personality and skateboarder Rob Dyrdek for inspiring him to get ordained. He'd watched Dyrdek officiate his sister's wedding on his TV show, "Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory."
