CHICAGO — Spencer Nolen bombed in a good way Friday.
The former Saint Xavier University punter/kicker and graduate of the school had a private workout with the Chicago Bears on Friday at Halas Hall in suburban Lake Forest.
The Streeterville resident, whose goal is to make an NFL roster and currently works as a financial adviser, displayed his punting and kicking talents in front of Bears coaches.
"I did really well punting wise," Nolen said. "I really, really bombed it punting — much better than I thought I'd do."
The Bears currently have two punters — Drew Butler and Tress Way — on their active roster.
"They're always looking for players," Nolen said. "I've just been preparing and waiting for my chance."
Said his agent David Lehtman: "Teams are blown away by his natural talent, incredible accuracy, unparalleled work ethic and high moral character. Perseverance prevails and so will Spencer Nolen."
In 2013, Nolen hit 13-of-22 field goals and 33-of-38 extra points for the Cougars, who finished the year 7-4.
He averaged 40.4 yards on his 38 punts, including a long of 65 yards. Six of his punts were inside the opponents' 20-yard-line.
Nolen grew up in the central Tennessee town of Columbia, where he was a special teams star at Central High School.
He walked-on and eventually earned the starting kicker spot at Division I-AA Tennessee-Chattanooga but abruptly left the school for a two-year Mormon mission that was based in Las Vegas but extended into western Nevada and eastern California.
After his mission, Nolen made the practice squad at the University of Nevada in Reno and was on the team that upset Boise State in 2010 — ironically when the Broncos missed a late field goal.
But he couldn't crack the starting lineup and decided to leave the school in 2011, sending out an email with a video link to his kicking exploits to 12 NAIA colleges in California, Virginia, Tennessee, Michigan, Kansas and Illinois. He would end up at Saint Xavier in Mount Greenwood.
