Coach Joe Gardener spent years as a professional rugby player with the Portugal National Team and pro clubs in Japan, France, and Portugal, earning top-scorer accolades for multiple rugby clubs. He came to the US with the goal of becoming an NFL punter. Joe played one season at UW-Whitewater and then had multiple NFL tryouts in the following years. He joined the Kohl's staff full-time in 2015 and now provides an in-depth knowledge and experience on how Australian punting techniques translate to American football.
Coach Gardener has also become a great kicking coach who along with Coach Radke does much of the behind the scenes work at Kohl's. He is getting married in the summer of 2017 to his long-time girlfriend Natalie.
Coach Gardener gives Oakland Raiders' Marquette King tips on the Australian-style punt
Coach Gardener playing for the Portugal National Rugby Team
The Kohl's staff wants to recognize Kohl's kicking, punting, and long snapping prospects across the country for their outstanding performances each week during the 2023-2024 high school football season.
With an unmatched lineage of underclassmen athletes from this event going on to play at top college football programs as well as the NFL, this invite-only event has featured the top up-and-coming kicking, punting, and long snapping prospects across the nation every year.
