FanHouse Dirk Johnson

The Redskins punter in 2008, Ryan Plackemeier, finished 27th in the NFL in gross average per punt. At 33.9 yards per punt, he ranked dead last in the NFL in net average (among full-season punters), so it was obvious the 'Skins needed to go in a different route with the punting game. Thus, they have inked Dirk Johnson -- one of the greatest names of all-time, by the way -- to take over punting duties.

Of course, Johnson didn't fare much better in Arizona last year. He was 26th in gross average and tied for 26th in net average. This will be Johnson's fourth team in the past five years, so he's obviously not been setting the world on fire.

Maybe somebody should hook Cardinals punter Dirk Johnson up with that Harvard Business School program so many other NFL players attend during the offseason. Before pursuing his dream of kicking footballs for a living, Johnson found other, less lucrative ways to pay the bills.

Johnson worked as a bartender. He served as a caddie at a ritzy country club in Colorado. He was a valet driver at night for a major hotel chain. He worked in a liquor store... He was a handyman. He mowed softball fields. He worked for a flood and fire restoration company. He cleaned carpets. He took whatever job was available that would help pay the bills.

His said his wife, Jennifer, was the "primary bread winner" as a restaurant manager near the couple's home in Commerce City, Colo.

It's not glamorous, but like Will said, there's honor in that.

After signing with the Saints in 2002, and four years with the Eagles, Johnson caught on with the Cardinals this spring. And it looks like he won't have to mow softball fields to make ends meet anytime soon: Arizona doesn't have another punter under contract and special-teams coach Kevin Spencer says the job is Johnson's to lose. "We're pretty much just going to roll the dice and see what happens."

It'll be just like the Mike Barr experiment but much, much better.