Have to come and bounce back from , so I think um just the success you gotta keep looking back on it and know what you're capable of doing and being able to perform and do that day in and day out . Recruiting process for me and kickers in general is very different . Um , throughout high school I was always a soccer kid .
You need to utilize somebody like my kicking coach was a big help in my process . He was able to reach out for teams and schools for me to be able to get my name out there , but you got to put in the work first and be able to go to those camps and showcase what you're capable of . Rankings aren't everything in kicking , but they do help you get your name out there and have schools start reaching out .
And when you get a scholarship , it means the coach is putting their betting money on you , pretty much having their faith in you to come in and maybe have a role as a kicker in your first year and played my whole freshman year , um . Went on , I think I was 22 of 27 my first year and got those accolades and ended up hitting the portal , which is where I really started to see progress in my recruiting process and that was when money was becoming a thing and hit the portal , got maybe 15-20 offers from some big schools , and I , I really only had 2 weeks to choose because I entered after my bowl game for the Barstool Sports Bowl which I had a very good game at which kind of would push my name out there even more with their big platform . And I really only had a choice between Cincinnati and Wisconsin just because the two weeks didn't give me a lot of time to go visit other schools , so I knew Cincinnati well since it was my first offer , and Coach Fickle , who's a coach here now , was there at the time .
Um , with my senior year we've kind of struggled as a team recently , so for me it's just kind of taking advantage of every field goal or moment I get out on the field and being able to capitalize on that moment , um . You get an agent and you get set up to go to the league training in Buffalo and Orlando , so I'll be there training , getting ready for my pro day and hopefully the draft and just see where everything goes and take it and always you have a Plan B and go work . Um , that's why I'm getting a degree here .
I've had family that's been here . My grandpa went here and I really trusted this coaching staff and what they're capable of and how they believed in me , and that was ultimately my recruiting process and why I came here . Yeah , for people who were in my spot in high school or still are in my spot , um , I think it's really going to camps and getting your name out there .
