Make no mistake. How far the ball travels - and given Buehler's booming leg, it likely will be far - isn't what interests Jones. He'll be charting how far the ball carrier travels after getting hit by Buehler.

"He'll knock your head off," Jones, coach at Santa Ana (Calif.) College, said of Buehler, who played for the Dons before transferring to USC in 2006.

With an eye toward improving their special teams, the Cowboys selected Buehler to be a kickoff specialist. But given his 6-foot-2, 227-pound size and athletic prowess, Dallas is considering using Buehler in other roles.

"He could be a weapon," new Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillis told the team's Web site. "He's got the athleticism to do other things."

Said Buehler, "I'm their property, so I'm willing to do whatever helps."

This much is certain: In Buehler, Dallas has a kicker with the potential to vastly improve its coverage. At USC, he recorded 69 touchbacks.

Cowboys kicker Nick Folk didn't have any touchbacks last season.

"Kickoffs are definitely my specialty," said Buehler (pronounced BEE-ler).

But his performance at the scouting combine says he might be much more.

Even though kickers aren't required to lift for scouts, Buehler did - and in impressive fashion.

In a showing that eclipsed many linebackers, tight ends and even offensive linemen, he bench-pressed 225 pounds 25 times. Buehler's USC teammate, linebacker Rey Maualuga, did only 23.

Buehler also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.56 seconds, which bested two other former Trojans, linebackers Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews.

"I trained really hard and then tried to show my athleticism to market myself as much as I could," said Buehler, a native of Anaheim, Calif.

Buehler's eye-opening workout wasn't the first time he left coaches shaking their heads in wonder.

Two weeks into practice at Santa Ana College, Buehler shocked the Dons when he smoked the team's fastest players in an impromptu 40-yard dash competition.

"I looked at my offensive coordinator and said, 'We need to give him the ball, dude,'" Jones said.

So in addition to playing kicker, safety and a gunner on punt coverage, Buehler became a goal-line back.

"His first five touches - all short yardage - went for TDs," Jones said. "Then he got the ball at the 50 in one game, and I thought here's where the streak ends. But he ran for another score."

In his first season at USC, Buehler was a kicker, safety and fullback. He became the first-team place kicker after Mario Danelo died in 2007.

For the Trojans, Buehler hit 26 of 33 field goals and 117 of 120 extra points tries for 195 points. He also had five tackles.

"There's something special about him," Jones said.