After weeks of speculation about Iowa State football players joining the National Football League, kicker Jamie Kohl became the first Cyclone to sign with an NFL team.

Kohl, senior in marketing, signed with the Seattle Seahawks Monday after being courted by both the Seahawks and the Miami Dolphins.

“Chances are probably against me, but I’ve gotten past the biggest hurdle, which is getting in the system,” said Kohl, who left for a mini-camp in Seattle Thursday.

Kohl said he pulled his quadracept muscle about four weeks ago while at a camp in Reno, Nev., which became a factor in choosing the Seahawks instead of the Dolphins.

“Seattle is fine with [the pulled muscle],” he said. “Jimmy Johnson wanted me at 100 percent right now.”

ISU Assistant Coach Nick Quartaro, who worked with Kohl on special teams, said Kohl’s current injury probably will not hurt his chances with Seattle, as long as he recovers quickly. He said Kohl will have several chances before the NFL season starts to prove his kicking ability to the Seahawks’ coaching staff.

“This weekend, they’re probably not going to ask him to do that much. He won’t have to go in and kick … to win a job,” Quartaro said. “The big thing is to do whatever he can to make a good showing between now and [the beginning of the season].”

Kohl will be competing for the place-kicking job against the Seahawks’ current kicker, Todd Peterson, who went 19-24 in field goal attempts and 41-41 in point-after attempts last season. Quartaro said Kohl’s chances to make the team are improved because Peterson isn’t “entrenched” in the Seahawks’ roster, but it is still difficult for a rookie to win a job over an incumbent.

“I guess you’d liken it to a boxing match,” Quartaro said. “You’d have to knockout the incumbent; you can’t win by decision.”

However, Quartaro said Kohl has a good chance to stay with the team if he performs well during the mini-camps and training camp before the start of the season.

“I really think there’s a chance that he can kick off better than the other guy,” he said. “I don’t think that there’s any doubt that he’ll have a chance to compete.”

Quartaro also said Kohl’s dream of playing in the NFL might still be realized even if he is ultimately cut by Seattle.

“It’s never a done deal in just one summer,” Quartaro said. “Especially in the case of kickers or punters, they tend to be on a carousel.”

Kohl said he was excited and nervous about this weekend at the mini-camp and his future in the NFL.

“I just feel really blessed that God has been looking out for me and given me this opportunity,” he said.

Kohl scored a total of 217 for the Cyclones and made 37 career field goals, his longest a 54-yarder.

Cyclone quarterback Todd Bandhauer and offensive lineman Chin Achebe are also potential NFL signees, but according to the Athletic Department, neither had been signed as of Thursday.