KIRCHOFF HOPES TO GET KICKED UPSTAIRS; SWARM STAR HAS LEGITIMATE NFL DREAMS.

Byline: Gerry Gittelson Daily News Staff Writer

The Simi Valley Swarm is considered a semipro football team. But there are no salaries. Most players are hoping to gain notice and move on to arena football, the World League, maybe even the NFL.

Pipe dreams? For almost all of them, definitely. Except kicker Jay Kirchoff.

Kirchoff has been to three NFL camps, most recently the Minnesota Vikings. The former Arizona kicker was cut just prior to the 1995 season.

``Jay is an NFL kicker,'' Swarm coach Aaron Spaulding said. ``That's my observation. He's been a godsend for us. If it wasn't for Jay, we wouldn't be 5-1.''

Kirchoff kicked four field goals in a 12-6 win over Utah on Sept. 6. He is 5 of 7 for the season.

``Jay is a great kicker,'' Swarm owner Scott Aronson said. ``He makes a three-hour commute (from San Diego) for each game, just for a chance and some exposure. He's definitely not just playing for fun.''

At 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, Kirchoff was a basketball standout in high school, averaging 15 points per game to lead Minnesota Armstrong High to the state tournament. In football, he connected on 7 of 10 field goals with a long of 51 as a senior.

At Division III Gustavus-St. Peter College in Minnesota, Kirchoff, over a two-year period, was 19 of 26 - with a long of 52. Subsequently, he earned a scholarship to Arizona where he was the kickoff specialist.

His first NFL tryout was with the Miami Dolphins in 1993. Kirchoff lasted three exhibition games but could not unseat Pete Stoyanovich.

The Los Angeles Rams cut Kirchoff a year later in favor of Tony Zendejas.

In 1995, Kirchoff joined the Minnesota Vikings, kicking two exhibition-season field goals against the San Diego Chargers and two more - including a game-winning 43-yarder - against the New England Patriots. But Kirchoff was cut in favor of Fuad Reveiz.

Kirchoff has played minor-league football ever since. The Swarm is his third team.

``It was just a matter of Jay not being in the right place at the right time,'' said Minnesota Vikings special teams coach Gary Zauner. ``It came down to choosing a young guy or a kicker with experience. Jay had a good leg but we went with experience.''

Kirchoff, who has a day job as a sales rep, is confident in his ability.

``I know I can go into the NFL and do something,'' he said. ``I've been around the block, and my kickoffs usually go into the end zone - that's my trademark.''

Kirchoff, who was hitting 62-yarders at halftime against Utah, says his longest in practice was ``67 with the wind.''

Spaulding is impressed with Kirchoff's poise.

``Jay is always calm and cool,'' Spaulding said. ``When we're driving, he always comes up to me and says, `Get me to the 38 and I can make it.' And the hang time he gets on kickoffs, he's just a classy kicker.''

Aronson hopes Kirchoff gets another shot at the NFL. In the meantime, he appreciates having Kirchoff around.

``Jay is head and shoulders above the rest of the kickers in our league,'' Aronson said. ``He belongs in the NFL, but it's a difficult position to stick on the final roster. All I know is, Jay keeps blasting away.''

Spaulding pictures a scenario for Kirchoff: ``Remember Matt Bahr? He was called up in the fourth game of the 1989 season with the New York Giants, and he ended up kicking the winning field goal in the NFC Championship Game against the 49ers to get the Giants into the Super Bowl. Kickers can hook up at anytime because all they have to do is kick the football. Jay has a dream, and all he needs is one more chance.''

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PHOTO (1--2) Simi Valley Swarm kicker Jay Kirchoff has tried out for three NFL teams, most recently the Minnesota Vikings in 1995.

John McCoy / Daily News