PITTSBURGH -- Get to know Chris Boswell, who is the Steelers' fourth kicker in the last two months. His goals are simple:
"Get touchbacks and put the ball through the pipes," said Boswell, who's spent time with the Texans and Giants the last two years.
Boswell learned soccer at an early age: Boswell's father lived in Brazil before he was born, which meant Boswell played soccer "as soon as I could walk," around age 3. This taught Boswell the art of placing the ball where he wants it, which helps him now. Boswell was a defender who played in high school but gave up the sport when he got a football scholarship to Rice.
Boswell's family spreads the faith: His grandparents were missionaries working in Brazil, which explains his father's trek there. The family is heavily involved in Christian missionary work. Boswell has been involved, but said he's never really thought about full-time mission work. "Who knows where life is going to take me," he said.
Kicking "90 percent mental": Boswell has worked this offseason with Giants kicker Josh Brown (10-for-10) and Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos (coming off a 7-for-7 game against Cincinnati). Perhaps those two will give Boswell some good energy for Pittsburgh.
Boswell talks with these friends about the mental side of kicking, getting your mind right before each attempt.
"How to go after every kick," Boswell said. "Each kick stands on its own. You have to have that down before you kick the ball."
As for the well-publicized kicking woes around the league -- 14 misses last week, the most since Week 2 of 2013 -- Boswell said kickers are "grouped together" when a few guys struggle. It doesn't mean they all will.
