[Adam Lefkoe] Everyone thinks they can catch punts.
So we’re meeting up with punting expert Johnny Hekker of the
L.A. Rams to see just how hard it really is.
- [Taran Killam] These guys are goin’ down, cuz when it comes to catchin’ punts, from a
machine, after a practice, there’s nobody better.
- [Caron Butler] These youngsters ain’t got nothin’ on me.
I’m about to put it down, right now, no cap, catchin’ all balls.
- [Lefkoe] Normally I’d make you catch these hands, but today, these hands are catchin’ punts.
- Yeah, they’re screwed.
- Well, hello!
Lefkoe out here in L.A.
I’m about to catch punts from Johnny Hekker, one of the greatest special team players in
the history of the NFL.
You know who else has a special team?
State Farm.
They’re sponsoring this entire season of “Ditch the Playbook.” Talk about swell people.
Let’s go catch some punts.
♪♪♪
What we have here today is the greatest punter in the history of the NFL, Johnny Hekker.
- [Laughing]
- Take the compliment. - Thank you.
- To his right, NBA legend Tuff Juice, Caron Butler.
And one of the funniest people you’re ever gonna meet, the biggest Rams fan ever, Taran Killam.
- Whose house?!
- Rams house. - Woo!
- Damn right.
- I did not know that cheer.
Clearly I’m not a Rams fan.
How this is gonna work: It’s gonna be three rounds.
We each get one attempt per round.
And whoever has the most catches at the end wins.
Now, to make it fair, we’re all gonna get the exact same punt from the JUGS machine.
Whoever comes in last, there is a punishment.
So I’m asking you right now—you have to agree.
Do you agree to said punishment?
- Agree. - OK.
- Agreed.
- They’re agreed. - [Whistling]
Johnny Hekker—I can’t believe they agreed.
They fell for it.
We’re set.
- It’s gonna come down with some heat. Don’t be afraid.
- [Butler] Oooh! - You’re gonna be OK.
- [Killam] Thank you, Captain. - [Butler] Fire!
- [Killam] Ready to rise to the challenge.
- Bruises heal—
- [Killam] Yes. - Legends are forever.
- [Killam] Yes. - [Butler] Oooh, that’s a good one.
- [Killam] Clear eyes, full hearts. - Let’s do it.
- Taran Killam’s up for the first round.
- [Hekker] All right, make sure we give him, give him a little space.
Fair catch, fair catch rules.
- Feelin’ a lotta pressure right now.
- Give him the point when you’re ready.
- [Lefkoe] Oh, the point is up.
- [Hekker] OK, coming back to his left.
- [Collective] Ohhh!
- [Butler] Good catch!
- You got a ball?
- [Lefkoe] Yeah.
- Watch this, watch this.
- [Lefkoe] Yeah. - [Butler] And—
- Into it. - Ohhh.
- One hop into the bucket? Ahh.
- [Killam] One-hop Wednesday.
- Darn it.
- [Lefkoe] Oh, here’s Caron.
- [Hekker] Caron, it’s coming back to your left, coming back to your left.
- [Everyone] Yes!
- [Hekker] Good job, Caron.
That was incredible.
Way to go. - Now all the nervousness has come to me.
- [Killam] Yeah.
- [Hekker] Yeah.
Oh, no.
- [Killam] That’s ugly.
That’s ugly.
That’s—
- Ohhh!
- [Lefkoe] I went—damn!
- [Hekker] Yeah, we saw.
Someone said something about a punishment?
- [Killam] Yeah.
- [Lefkoe] Yeah, there’s three rounds, Johnny Hekker!
- Ohhh, you’re right.
- [Lefkoe] Damn!
After the first round, Caron: 1.
Taran: 1.
Lefk: O.
Damn.
And he’s enjoying this way too much.
- No, I’m not. I’m not, I’m not.
- Yeah, you are. You’re laughing!
- I’m in panic mode right now.
- [Lefkoe] Here, Taran.
- Evan!
Can you switch it to, uh, lefty?
- [Killam] Oh, actually, I’m sorry.
That’s against my religion.
- [Butler] Lefty spiral. - [Hekker] Oh, no, lefty.
- [Killam] Yeah, I’m a righty spiral only kinda guy.
- [Lefkoe] What’s really funny is I have no idea the difference between a righty or a
lefty at all. - [Hekker] Oh, yeah.
- [Lefkoe] Bro, you did that way too easily!
- Yeah, they’re screwed.
- [Butler] Oh, goodness.
- Wow.
- Ohhh!
- [Butler] Yoooo!
Get the dirt off your shoulders!
- That is how you show out.
- God!
Jeez!
- [Hekker] To your right, to your right, to your right.
- Ohhh, Jesus!
- [Lefkoe] Oooh, don’t break a finger.
- [Killam] That’s nice. That gives me a cushion.
That gives me a nice cushion, right?
- [Butler] You gotta get under it, man.
- [Lefkoe] Yes. - [Butler] God!
- You didn’t feel the grass. - [Butler] I have a shot.
- [Hekker] Oh, look at this guy!
He said, he heard us say—
- Oh, s--t!
[Laughing offscreen]
- [Hekker] Oh, he’s gotta get over here.
- [Lefkoe] Ah, f--k!
- Ohhh. - [Lefkoe] Damn!
- [Killam] And a finger and a, and a— - [Hekker] Did you do it? Did you jam a finger?
- I did. - Oh, no!
- Yeah, I’m fine.
I am gonna have to do this punishment. - Oh, my goodness.
- [Lefkoe] And I thought for sure that Taran Killam was taking this punishment.
Damn.
I have zero, Tuff Juice has one, and Taran Killam’s caught both out of nowhere.
All right, so what are we doin’ here, Hekker?
- [Hekker] So you gotta run to the spot and catch the ball, so you gotta track it on the run.
This is makin’ things a little more difficult.
For someone that’s 0-2, it’s gonna be...
damn near impossible. So we’ll see how Lefkoe does.
- All right. - [Lefkoe] Such a d--k.
- Go!
- [Collective] Ohhh!
- [Lefkoe] He was right there, though.
- [Butler] Damn.
- Caron, the door has creaked open.
You gotta get going.
- [Killam] Nice, nice. Yes.
- [Hekker] You gotta get going.
- [Killam] He’s got it. He’s got this. He’s—
- [Butler] Ohhh, s--t!
- [Killam] Yep, yep. - [Lefkoe] We're alive.
- [Killam] You eliminate the chest, that’s what happens.
- [Killam] You have that safety of the chest—
- [Hekker] That makes it tough.
- Desperate times call for desperate measures.
- This is gross.
- Get that outta here! - What smells?
- No!
- Die, Eagles, die, more like. - [Laughing] Die, Eagles, die.
- For whatever he loves most, he can’t catch it to save it.
- [Hekker] No.
- Listen. I’m gonna be like Vince Papale.
- This is a—this is a serious thing.
- I hope that the punishment is you have to eat that shirt.
- Yo. [Laughing]
- [Hekker] I have never wanted someone to get a punt in the nuts so bad.
- [Butler] That’s tough.
- [Hekker] Over his head.
- [Killam] He’s got it. He’s got it.
- [Collective] Ohhh!
He’s got it.
- Let’s go!
Let’s go!
So now we gotta have a punt-off.
Me versus Caron Butler.
- [Butler] Yes.
- Congratulations, you’ve won.
- Thank you very much.
- Good job, Taran.
- I should really thank all the people who supported me on my way to get here.
You know, they say don’t forget the little people.
- What is that playing?
The music?
- Uhhh—Coach McVay!
[Group trying to drown him out]
Uhhh, Les Snead, Stan, for your ambition, your vision!
- How do we wanna do sudden death between me and Caron?
Is it one fresh off your actual leg?
- Oh, yeah!
- Yeah, let’s do that.
I’ll give you—I’ll give you guys an end-over-end—with the wind at my back.
So I’m gonna go this way.
- [Butler] Ooh, that’s with the sun.
- [Lefkoe] It is with the sun.
- S--t. - Well, you have sunglasses.
- Still don’t help.
[Laughing]
That’s only for the look.
It’s not for the block.
[Laughing]
- [Hekker] All right, here we go, Caron.
Get this one, baby.
- [Lefkoe] Damn.
- Woo, baby!
- Got my old ass out here moving!
- That was good.
- I'm gonna bomb this second ball
over Lefkoe's head, so he has no chance of winning.
That's my strategy.
- All right, Darren Sproles, you ready?
That’s goin’.
- Run!
RUN!
- Yes!
- Suck it, Lefkoe!
[Laughing]
- Hekker punts it 80 yards when it’s my turn.
- Tough day at the office for Lefkoe. - [Lefkoe] Damn!
- I think this is his own show, too.
That’s sad.
OK, so I hear we had, uhh, man, just a real display of grit.
- I guess at the end of the day, the actor won.
- Yeah. Great job. Way to go.
Lefkoe, I think this is your whole deal, and you kinda blew it, so—
- How do you feel about that?
- I don’t feel good, Johnny.
- And let’s bring out the punishment!
[Laughing]
Oh, and please just say it too a couple times for the people at home.
- It says that “I have big dumb baby hands” and now I’m gonna have to go into the road
and stand in front of cars and let them know that I have big, dumb, baby hands.
[Laughing]
- Catch!
- Everybody!
[Clapping]
♪♪♪
- What has my life become?
Yep.
Honk it up.
Ugh, crap.
Stop beeping!