Nobody’s Perfect, Not Even UCLA’s Splendid Lee : Placekicker Misses Three Field-Goal Attempts, but He Had Some Excuses

John M. at Pasadena knew Saturday how Robert E. must have felt at Appomattox. You forget a career of gutsy victories, and all they remember is the ignominy.

UCLA’s phenomenal kicker, John Lee, went into Saturday’s game against Oregon State as easy money for the Bruins. He had not missed this season--neither conversion nor field goal. Each time Lee put foot to football he had been perfect.

On Saturday, Lee came down with a case of being human. For the first time in his football career, Lee missed more than one field goal in a game. He missed three. UCLA fans rained “aaaahs” from the top of the Rose Bowl.

Never mind that the two field goals Lee did make gave him 82 for his career (including postseason games), breaking Luis Zendejas’ Pac-10 record by one.

And never mind that Lee will undoubtedly break Zendejas’ NCAA record of 78 (which does not include postseason games) next Saturday against USC--he has 77 in regular-season play. There’s also his 101 consecutive touchdown conversions.

Never mind that after his three misses he came back to hit a 41-yarder into the wind. People forget. When you’ve been perfect, one slip becomes a long fall.

“It was something that was so unexpected,” Lee said of the first miss from 39 yards. “You really have to make 100 out of 100 from that distance. Missing three field goals is something I really never dreamed of. I never thought I’d be the victim of that.

“You can never take kickers for granted. As coach has told me many times, the last perfect guy was crucified. I thought it was possible to go through the season without missing, but I knew I’d have to be darn lucky. The media have been talking about records for a while now. I sort of feel that missing today is like a monkey off my back. I got rid of it today.”

Lee had to know before the end of the game that he was the media item of the day. As he walked off the field through a throng of reporters, Lee shielded his face in mock movie star horror. At least he retained his sense of humor; not easy knowing the grilling he was to get from the press.

Lee speaks with reporters well, but he left out some pertinent details about Saturday’s game; details that revealed how Lee almost surely would have gotten the NCAA record Saturday.

Detail One: Lee pulled his groin last week against the University of Arizona and missed two days of practice.

Detail Two: David Clinton, for two years Lee’s holder, reinjured his left shoulder last week and did not practice until Friday. In the third quarter Saturday, Clinton felt his shoulder pop out and had to be replaced as the holder by Matt Stevens.

Lee didn’t volunteer that information, but UCLA Coach Terry Donahue did, and suggested that the trio of Lee, Clinton and long snapper Terry Theodore may have not “had the groove and the timing.”

Clinton, with his left arm dangling limp at his side after the game, agreed that something was off.

“I blame myself for the holds,” Clinton said. “On John’s first miss, the ball was snapped low and outside. I had to hold it with one arm. My shoulder hurt on every play.”

Lee was not about to blame anyone.

“Maybe, after I missed the first one, it was a lack of concentration,” he said. “I may have not lined up properly. I don’t know. I kicked the ball well, everything went right. I can’t say it was a bad hold.”

It all started like a normal day for Lee. He trotted out in the first quarter and easily made a 19-yard field goal. Little more than five minutes later he was on again. Thirty-nine yards, yawn.

The kick was three feet wide to the left. Lee sank to his knees and said he didn’t believe what his eyes had seen.

“After the first one, I kept thinking, ‘How did I miss that?’ ” Lee said. “It stuck in the back of my mind.”

Lee took the field in the second quarter for a 51-yard attempt, with, he said, a world of confidence. When the ball plopped down just short, Lee entered another world--a world of hurt.

“After he missed the first one I went over to him,” Clinton said. “I felt bad for him. I know how much it hurts him. I was thinking, ‘Is it my holds?’ I just said, ‘Let’s just not worry about it. Let’s just go out and kick the next one.’ ”

One miss had happened, but two misses by Lee sent the Bruins into a swoon. Players from the other end of the bench were coming by to pat Lee on the back. Lee just continued to stand off to one side, clutching a kicking tee.

His third miss came with 3:06 left in the first half, another one wide to the left from 46 yards. Lee said he went into the locker room with a massive headache. Donahue, never too free with praise, spoke to Lee.

“Coach Donahue called me up and said that even if I missed seven or eight more, I’m still the best kicker,” Lee said. “He gave me confidence.”

Something worked. When Lee came out in the third quarter to attempt a 41-yarder, the Bruin faithful watched from behind their hands. The kick, again into the wind, creeped over and died--after having gone through the uprights. Jubilation for the Bruins, and not because they were ahead 27-0.

“What a day that was,” Lee said. “The way I see it, I made 22 in a row. I figured with the law of averages, it was going to catch up with me sooner or later.

“I guess now I’m on a roll. I made the last one, I guess I’ll make 21 more and then miss three.”

Even as a slightly less-than-perfect kicker, Lee remains perfectly charming.

“You know what it really was,” he said, with a straight face, “I wasn’t getting any media attention with consistency. I just did this to get into the papers.”

Sure, Lee will get into the papers with his three-miss streak. But he still hopes he can be remembered for the other records.