Life is good for Andy Lee.
The 49ers’ Pro Bowl punter is coming off a season in which he set the NFL single-season record for net punting average (44.0). In the offseason, he signed a six-year contract extension worth a reported $20.4 million.
As Lee prepares to enter his ninth season in the NFL, he’s focused on retaining his status as an elite NFL punter while becoming increasingly conscious of his legacy.
“I would love to be a 49er my whole career, and I think it’s rare that guys do that,” Lee said. “I think the biggest thing about why I wanted to be here was that when you leave football the only thing you’re remembered by is your legacy.”
As Lee sees it, guys who bounce around the league from team to team tend to be forgotten. He has no such plan.
“I don’t think it was a secret that I wanted to be here,” Lee said. “I was happy to sign up a year early and not go into free agency and all that mess.”
As it stands, he already should be considered the best punter in franchise history. Since the 49ers drafted him in the sixth round of the 2004 draft out of the University of Pittsburgh, Lee has averaged 45.7 gross yards per punt -- the best average in team history. His 33,069 total yards are also a franchise best and his 38.9 net punting average for his career is tied with former Kansas City punter Dustin Colquitt for the best in the NFL since 1976.
It also doesn’t hurt that he’s teamed with Pro Bowl long snapper Brian Jennings, who said Lee -- a little over a week into training camp -- looks like he’s in midseason form.
Lee didn’t necessarily agree with his teammate’s assessment.
“I’m glad the season doesn’t start tomorrow,” he said. “I’m still getting into the groove of things to get my timing with Brian. I would like to be in season form going into the third preseason game. Sometimes it doesn’t happen until the fourth preseason game. It’s different each year.”
Due to the nature of the position, Lee hasn’t set any specific goals as they apply to statistics, but there is one thing he’d like to prevent.
“I don’t want anyone to return [a punt] for a touchdown,” he said. “Other than that, I just want to do anything I can to help the team. I’d like to be in the top third [in the league] in all the statistics. If you’re in that range, everything else will sort itself out.”
Just like his legacy.
Follow 49ers reporter Kyle Bonagura on Twitter: @CBSSportsNFLSF and @KyleBonagura
