PROFILE \ Jeff Wilkins

Birthdate: April 19, 1972.

Education: Austintown Fitch High School where he earned all-state honors and played quarterback; Youngstown State University, where he was kicker and punter. As a Penguin, he won two national championships and kicked a school-record 66 field goals. His longest was 54 yards.

NFL: Undrafted in April 1994, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1994. He kicked for the San Francisco 49ers in 1995-96, then signed with the St. Louis Rams in 1997. He won a Super Bowl ring in January 2000. The Rams also played in the Super Bowl in February 2002, losing 20-17 to the New England Patriots.

Future plans: “I’ll help out with camps, but as for being on a staff, I don’t think so,” Wilkins said of coaching football. “I’m real excited to get to as many high school games and YSU games as I can.”

This year’s YSU kickers camp: “We’ve got a great bunch of kids out here this year with some good legs. We’ve got guys from West Virginia, we’ve got local guys. It’s always fun to get back here with Paul McFadden, and teach these guys a little bit.”

Spygate: In the past nine months, rumors have surfaced that the Patriots under head coach Bill Belichick have been violating NFL rules for years by videotaping opposing teams’ signals. The rumors include the Rams’ walkthrough session the day before the Super Bowl in 2002. “I think it’s time to let it go,” Wilkins said of Spygate. “If there was something to it, it was the day before a game. Truthfully, not much goes on the day before a game. In college and the pros, not many coaches do much to give away anything. Coaches are the most paranoid people I’ve ever met. If it did happen, I’m not sure that they were the only ones. Regardless, I don’t think much was gained. They executed better than we did and they won.”

Career highlights: Wilkins said his most memorable kick in high school was a game-winner against Massillon. “They were undefeated and we had one loss. That kick could still be my favorite kick of all time.” He played for two of Jim Tressel’s four national champions at YSU and made a game-winning kick against Villanova. “In the pros, the Super Bowl is everybody’s dream.”

Tom Williams