Last season did not go the way [Blake Gillikin](/team/players-roster/blake-gillikin/) had anticipated.
"That's the most obvious statement of the century," the punter said.
Gillikin had back surgery and missed the final 12 games of the season. It marked the second time in his career that a back issue derailed a season, but this time, it required a procedure.
"It was a more complicated situation than that," Gillikin said. "This was really my first significant back injury in my career, but I had a good surgeon in L.A. and took care of the issue and it's not an issue anymore."
Because the Cardinals offense has been pretty efficient during the first two preseason games, Gillikin hasn't been called on much. His three punts have averaged 52.7 yards and two have landed inside the 20. In the Hall of Fame game, Gillikin pinned the Panthers at the 3-yard line.
At the time of his injury last year, Gillikin was the only punter to be in the top five in punting average and net punting average. All but one of those games were played inside a dome, which can certainly help a specialist.
For Gillikin, it took some time during this training camp to get used to kicking indoors.