MITCHELLVILLE, Md. - Three years ago, Jeff Chandler was kicking field goals for the Washington Redskins before some 90,000 spectators at FedEx Field.

On Thursday, Chandler was about four miles away from the Redskins’ stadium, kneeling on one knee as he held a white towel around Jeff Klauk’s left leg at the driving range of the Country Club at Woodmore.

“He is working on his transition,” Chandler explained, “trying to get his legs through the ball.”

Less than an hour later, Chandler was holding the bag as Klauk teed off in the opening round of the inaugural Melwood Prince George’s County Open.

The NFL kicker is now a Nationwide Tour caddie.

“We play a lot back home,” Chandler said, “so it was kind of a natural fit for me to come out here while I’m in limbo.”

Chandler, who has a 6 handicap, has always been a golf nut, and he’s been friends with fellow Florida native Klauk for five years. Since place-kicking and golf have some similarities — both are as much mental as physical — Klauk figured his football friend could help a game that needed some work after two lackluster years on the tour.

“He knew that me being a kicker, I’m pretty set in my routine,” Chandler said. “He just wants me to mentally help him get through that, and talk him through it. Plus he wants me on the bag to lighten him up a little bit. We joke around a lot, just whatever makes it easier on him.”

The conversation on the course often revolves around football. Chandler was a standout kicker at the University of Florida, and Klauk is a huge Gators fan even though he attended Florida Southern.

“We talk about a lot of Gator stuff,” Klauk said. “That’s where he helps me out the most. When you have somebody you don’t know, you really don’t have that relationship that you have with a good friend.”

This is Chandler’s fourth tournament on the bag, and the results are promising. Klauk missed the cut in their first tournament together, but the following week he had his best finish of the year, a tie for third at the South Georgia Classic. He is 36th on the money list, within striking range of a top 25 placing that would earn a promotion to the PGA Tour.

Meanwhile, Chandler’s future is murky. He hasn’t had much of an NFL career — eight games over two years with San Francisco, followed by two games with Carolina and three with the Redskins in 2004.

He hasn’t kicked in a regular season game since, but doesn’t consider himself retired. He was cut by the Redskins after training camp in 2005 and failed to catch on after spending camp with the Cleveland Browns last year.

Slideshow   The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos

“I know how kicking works,” Chandler said. “At any time a call could come from anywhere. I’m staying in shape, and I’ll wait until maybe the season starts, then I’ll start looking elsewhere. If nothing happens, then I’m OK with it. I’ve played at the highest level you could, so I was happy to do that, and it might be time to move on with my life.”

Chandler doesn’t get a chance to practice his kicking during a tournament, but four days of walking a course with a heavy bag is a good way to stay fit. Coincidentally, he is staying this week in the same hotel the Redskins use the nights before home games.

“It brought back a lot of memories,” he said. “I love the area here.”

If his football days are over, Chandler said he’d like to work for the PGA Tour, which has its headquarters in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla.

Of course, there’s another possibility. If Klauk makes the big tour, Chandler might decide to stick with the caddie job.

“I told him, ’If you make it, I’m going to be there,”’ Chandler said.