Whenever people talk about football, why don’t they talk about kickers? Is it because kickers don’t matter? Is it because their job is easy? No, it’s because nobody realizes how important and how hard their role is. One of my favorite quotes about kicking is “field goals get you the job, but extra points keep you the job.” Think about, the Saints are in the Superbowl on the opponent’s 40-yard line with 1 second on the clock, and they call timeout. They’re losing by 1, so do they throw a Hail Mary and risk it being swatted or intercepted? No, they send Wil Lutz, the 25-year-old kicker, out and he attempts the game-winner from 57 yards out. Now, I’m not saying that throwing a Hail Mary is easy, but kicking a field goal doesn’t involve the thought “will the receiver catch the ball.” It involves the thought of “can he kick it far enough, accurate enough, and fast enough.” The first two thoughts are self-explanatory, but people often forget that kickers have about a 2-4 second window before the defensive line can get in front of the ball and block it. So the next time you’re confident that you could nail that 20 yard field goal that cost you your fantasy game, remember that they’re professionals and you’re not.
My name is Peter Laughlin and you can find me on Instagram @TheKickerReport or @GlacierBoyPeter. I am an 18-year-old senior in highschool born and raised in New Orleans. In 2021, I will be attending the University of Tampa. I plan on double majoring in Entrepreneurship and Sport Management since I am an aspiring entrepreneur. In addition to being a writer, I also host the Field2Court Football Podcast.
