New England Patriots

Patriots add Joe Houston, the ‘kicking whisperer,’ as assistant special teams coach

Houston was a college kicker and former assistant at Iowa State and most recently Alabama.

The Patriots used three kickers after Stephen Gostkowski was injured last season. AP Photo/Mark Zaleski, File

By Nora Princiotti and Jim McBride, Nora Princiotti

Less than a minute to read

INDIANAPOLIS — While former Patriots special teams coordinator Joe Judge was performing his Combine duties as head coach of the Giants Tuesday, a new member of the Patriots special teams coaching staff addressed his job change.

Joe Houston, a college kicker and former assistant at Iowa State and most recently Alabama, is joining the Patriots as an assistant special teams coach. He wrote that he’s “excited for this opportunity to grind in New England’’ on social media.

Houston, who was a kicker at USC from 2007-10 and was referred to as a “kicking whisperer’’ by the Des Moines Register when he was at Iowa State, also thanked those from his previous stops.

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