‘Kickalicious’ Havard Rugland is back with new video and NFL hopes

Kicker Havard Rugland of Norway, a.k.a. Kickalicious, is back with another trick-shot video and the hope of earning a spot with an NFL team.

Rugland became a worldwide entity in 2012 with the YouTube release of his first trick-shot video, which has more than 5.5 million views.

In a video sponsored by Pepsi Max -- yes, the kicker with a trademarked name has a backer -- Rugland is seen making a variety of kicks across the rugged expanses of Norway, including his signature kicks into a moving boat and through the windows of a parked car. He is shown kicking one football into the air and knocking it down with another kick twice.

When we last saw Rugland in football uniform, he had been beaten out of the Detroit Lions’ kicking job by veteran David Akers in training camp before last season.

Rugland was optimistic heading into that training camp, although he knew the odds were stacked against him.

“If not right away,” he said of landing a job, “I will get one because I really do think that I’m at least going to be good enough, and I just have to be better than the people I’m competing with and make them believe in me and go with a guy without too much experience.”