GREEN BAY — As new punter Jeremy Kapinos lined up for his first kick Thursday morning, Green Bay Packers wide receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings knelt at the far end of the Don Hutson Center, waiting to see what the kid would do.

"Wooo," Jennings yelled as Kapinos' punt sailed high toward the Hutson Center ceiling, then came down 50 yards downfield in the arms of Jordy Nelson. "That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!"

Jennings and Driver weren't the only ones who were impressed. After enduring weeks of poor punting in games from Derrick Frost (who was much better in practice), Kapinos' new teammates responded to his first kick with a collective cheer.

"I don't think I really deserved it, but I'll take it," Kapinos said afterward. "It was nice."

After beating out three others for the job with a solid workout Tuesday, the left-footed Kapinos hit eight punts, alternating aiming to the left and right, in practice Thursday, when coach Mike McCarthy extended the special teams period from 15 minutes to 23.

Kapinos hit six of his eight punts solidly — a good start going into Sunday's game against the Houston Texans.
McCarthy said Kapinos will punt outside at Lambeau Field today, since the stadium wasn't available while crews cleared snow Thursday.

"This was a big day for him," said special teams coordinator Mike Stock, who called Kapinos' mechanics "outstanding" and said they wouldn't require tweaking. "He's got a big upside in terms of strength, fundamentals and technique. We'll see what happens on Sunday. I'm very confident after seeing him work out on Tuesday."

Kapinos, who was living with his mom and dad in Springfield, Va., since being released by the New York Jets, was thrilled with his first day of work.

"My parents have been bugging me to get a job," Kapinos said. "I told them I had one, it just (wasn't) paying (yet)."

Health watch

Linebacker Brandon Chillar was added to the injury report after suffering a strained groin in practice Wednesday. He was limited Thursday, and if he can't play Sunday, Desmond Bishop would "be the next linebacker up," McCarthy said. Bishop can play both the mike and will linebacker spots.

Center Scott Wells (concussion) was limited again in practice but continues to progress and McCarthy said he assumes team doctor Pat McKenzie will clear Wells today. "That's my anticipation, but we'll see what happens," McCarthy said.

Starting halfback Ryan Grant (sprained right thumb) practiced fully wearing a splint again Thursday, while his backup, Brandon Jackson (quadriceps), was a full participant after being limited Wednesday.

Daniels no weatherman

With many of his Texans teammates unaccustomed to playing in cold weather, ex-University of Wisconsin tight end Owen Daniels has been fielding a lot of questions this week. The problem is, Daniels never played in December with the Badgers, since his regular season ended in November and his December and January games were bowl games in warm climates.

"The latest game was around Thanksgiving or the week before. It would get cold, but I don't think anything that we're going to deal with this weekend," said Daniels, who has caught 50 passes for 608 yards (fourth among NFL tight ends) this season. "As long as you keep your hands and feet warm, that's the biggest thing. That's what I'm worried about. I think that's what most people are worried about."