Akers faced family health issues

POSTED: Monday, January 10, 2011, 10:22 AM

Jeff McLane, Inquirer Staff Writer

David Akers was dealing with a lot more than just kicking field goals on Sunday.

The Eagles kicker, of course, missed two crucial field goals in the Eagles' 21-16 playoff loss to the Packers. But Akers' mind may have been elsewhere. Several of his teammates after the game alluded that the kicker was dealing with personal matters in the week leading up to the game.

His agent, Jerrold Colton, said Monday that the matter was a "family health concern."

"David makes no excuses," Colton said. "He is an intensely private person when it comes to his family. It was a family health concern with one of his family members. That's all it is."

Colton said that he could not go into further detail.

Akers, who is in the last year of his contract, intimated after the game that he did not expect to be back with the Eagles next season. A 12-year Eagles veteran, he made the Pro Bowl this season for the fifth time in his career.

He missed two big field goals against Green Bay, though, the last a 34-yarder in the fourth quarter. He also was wide right on a 41-yarder in the first quarter.

"We can all count," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "Those points would have helped."

Colton said that he and the Eagles have held contract talks, but that the expiring collective bargaining agreement had put those conversations on hold. He said that Akers wants to remain with the Eagles and that he is not considering retirement.

Akers, the longest-tenured Eagle, connected on 32 of 38 field goals in the regular season and had a league-high 143 points.

"Looking back now, 12 years, it's been a nice run," Akers said after the game. "It's not really the way I wanted to go out as an Eagle."

Comments (110)

2 like this / 1 don't • Posted 10:35 AM, 01/10/2011

Please, stop making excuses. He just was bad, period. A lot of players and people go through rough times and the world doesn't stop because of it.

— EL Zorro

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:29 PM, 01/10/2011

Akers has been a stand-up man since he's been here. he's dealt with adversity before and done well. A more level-headed reader would take the potential situation into account before shooting his mouth off. If he was in this much turmoil, why don't you take your aggression out on the coach, who singled him out knowing it?

— Bob1

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:51 PM, 01/10/2011

There was plenty of bad to go around on that field so to point him out is out of line

— ejhinchey

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 10:45 AM, 01/10/2011

I blame AR just as much for not going for that 4th and short instead of kicking the field goal. Vick was obviously hurt, no way he misses the 1st down run on 3rd down leading up to that.

— MidGreen

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 10:49 AM, 01/10/2011

Let's not stop with Akers who obviously cost the Birds the game but lets look at other underachievers. Brent Celek needs to go. He cannot block, he drops too many passes and he makes the dumbest penalties in the most inopportune times. Time for a new tight end. Winston Justice is a first round bust. Ernie Sims is a first round bust. Quintin Mikell is not a starting safety in the NFL. Quintin the ball is laying in your gut while you are on the ground. Just roll over. Roll over!!!! That was too hard to believe.

— rockinrob

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:59 AM, 01/10/2011

Justice was a 2nd round pick. I agree with what you said about Sims. Eagles never shouldve traded for him. And I agree, how could Mikell not know the ball was there? C'mom! Just roll on it.

— clever

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:04 AM, 01/10/2011

he had 1 job to do & he didn't get it done it.

— Serge_Matthews

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:28 AM, 01/10/2011

Vick said if he had the chance to play the whole game against the Packers they would have won!! So what happened???? The Eagles had plenty of time to win that game after Akers missed the field goals. It was a team effort loss from Reid to the players.

— rolenfan

1 like this / 3 don't • Posted 11:30 AM, 01/10/2011

if akers can't concentrate then he shouldn't have played. ANYONE can miss 2 field goals. he praises god for his $ & ability... who's he praising today? or was it the devil??

— tfcino1