Andy Lee

Andrew Paul Lee (born on August 11, 1982 in Westminster, South Carolina) is a punter in the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 6th round (188th overall) in the 2004 NFL Draft and is currently serving a 6 year, $7.1 million contract that runs through 2012. The contract also included a $1.66 million signing bonus. He went to the University of Pittsburgh. He was selected to the Pro Bowl following the 2007 and 2009 seasons as the starting punter for the NFC. As of the end of the 2009 season Lee ranks 1st in 49ers history and 59th in League history with 24,896 punting yards in his career.

Early years
At West-Oak HS, Andy was a 3-sport star athlete, lettering in football, baseball, and basketball. In football, besides punting he played tight end and wide receiver as a senior. His punting average as a senior was 42.8 yards, earning him a 33rd ranking in South Carolina by SuperPrep. He was selected twice to All-Conference honors in basketball and helped lead the baseball team to a district championship and the state playoffs. As a pitcher he went 5-0 as a junior and 8-2 as a senior, with a selection to the North-South Baseball All-Star Game and a Golden and Silver Arm Award.

College career
Lee attended the University of Pittsburgh from 2000 to 2004. He was Pittsburgh’s starting punter for three seasons after seizing starting role late in true freshman season (2000). His 244 punts and 10,353 yards are tops in school history. Also had 29 fair catches, 61 kicks downed inside 20-yard line and three blocked kicks. Only player to ever win Big East Conference Special Teams Player of the Year honors twice in career. His senior year he was a semi-finalist for Ray Guy Award, given to nation’s top punter, and was All-Big East Conference first-team choice and Co-Special Teams Player of the Year.

Professional career
Following a successful Collegiate career Lee was drafted in the 6th round of the NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Andy never attended an NFL game growing up in South Carolina. Even when he went on to become a standout punter on the collegiate level at the University of Pittsburgh, he was still a stranger to live NFL action. The first professional game he ever attended was as a 49er player in 2004.

2004 season
In Lee's rookie season he punted 96 times with 25 dropped inside the 20 and an NFL-long of 81 yards. His punting average of 41.6 yards per punt was first time a 49ers punter averaged over 40 yards per punt since P Reggie Roby in 1998. Lee also posted seven punts for 338 yards (48.3 avg.), including career-long of 81 yards with one punt downed inside 20-yard line at Tampa Bay (11-21). His 81-yarder was fourth-longest in 49ers history and NFL’s longest punt of the year.

2005 season
In 2005 Lee set a career-high with 107 punts (41.6 avg.), including 15 punts downed inside the 20. His three touchbacks in 107 punts was third-best ratio of touchbacks-to-punts among punters with 30 or more kicks in 2005, trailing Houston’s P Chad Stanley (one touchback in 70 punts) and Detroit P Nick Harris (two touchbacks in 84 punts). His ratio of touchbacks-to-punts is best for any 49ers punter since 1970, topping P Joe Prokop (one touchback in 40 punts) in 1991.

2006 season
In 2006 Lee registered 81 punts (44.8 avg.) with 22 punts dropped inside the 20-yard line and a net average of 36.8. He finished seventh in NFL with 36.8 net yards, while his 44.8 gross average marked team’s highest since P Tommy Davis averaged 45.6 in 1964. Lee was awarded game ball for his efforts in the 20-14 victory vs. Seattle (11-19) when he landed two punts inside the 20-yard line to help the 49ers win the battle of field position. He also grossed 51.5 yards per punt at St. Louis (11-26), which included a season-long of 66 yards.

2007 season
Lee earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in 2007 after setting numerous records on 105 punts (47.3 avg.) with a net average of 41.0 and NFL record 42 punts downed inside opponents’ 20-yard line. His yardage, gross average, net average and punts downed inside 20-yard line all set team records. His 4,968 punting yards in 2007 are an NFL single season record. His 42 punts downed inside 20-yard line broke Baltimore’s Kyle Richardson’s NFL mark of 39 in 1999. His 41.0 net average ranks second all-time in NFL history, trailing only Shane Lechler of Oakland (41.1 in 2007). He ranked second in NFL for gross average (47.3) and net punting average (41.0) to Oakland’s Lechler. Also led the NFL with 49 punts over 50+ yards, which was 16 more than second ranked St. Louis’ Donnie Jones (33). Recorded four games in which he dropped four punts inside 20-yard line. Lee played key role in 49ers 37-31 overtime victory at Arizona (11-25), booming a 58-yard punt in overtime that wound up pinning Cardinals on their own three-yard line. The punt helped set up 49ers winning touchdown on DT Ronald Fields sack and forced fumble in the end zone that was recovered by LB Tully Banta-Cain for game-winning score.

2008 season
After earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in 2007, he once again put up outstanding numbers, in 2008, as he set a career-high and team record with his 47.8 gross average. Also had a career long 82 yard punt against the New England Patriots on October 5.

2009 season
Andy returned to his 2007 form in having a superb year and earning his second Pro Bowl selection.