They Need Kick in Pants

Why is it that millions of kids across the country grow up playing soccer and so many college football teams still can’t seem to find a consistent field-goal kicker?

Granted, kickers have a tough job, but things seem to be deteriorating beyond repair and something needs to change before teams are walking off the field as losers in the Rose, Orange or Sugar bowls because their kickers shanked one left, pushed one right, or simply left one short.

There are too many stories that end in disgrace for a kicker and it’s a trend that needs serious attention.

Take the Pacific 10 Conference, for instance. In a region of the country that would seem likely to produce a bumper crop of quality kickers every year, the conference ranks low on the scale.

The classic case here is USC’s David Newbury, who heading into Saturday’s game was four of nine on field-goal attempts. Not surprisingly, Newbury lost the starter’s job a few weeks ago to freshman John Wall.

Although Wall had made all five of his attempts before Saturday, his longest make was a pathetic 27 yards.

Around the conference, the numbers aren’t much better.

Heading into Saturday, the best kickers by percentage were Oregon State’s Ryan Cesca and UCLA’s Chris Griffith, both of whom had converted nine of 11 attempts. Understand that 11 attempts isn’t much.

The two with the most attempts this season, Oregon’s Josh Frankel (22) and Arizona State’s Mike Barth (20), had made only 11 and 12, respectively. Barth, you might recall, was questionable for a recent game after injuring his foot kicking a Nerf ball in his dorm room.

The other problem is that kickers simply aren’t being trusted in crucial spots.

This season, Pac-10 coaches, collectively, have allowed their kickers to attempt field goals of 50 or more yards on five occasions. On all five, the kickers missed. Even on kicks from 40 to 49 yards, the results are suspect with Pac-10 kickers making 22 of 47 (.486).

And this isn’t a problem only for Pac-10 teams. Even No. 1 Oklahoma can’t escape the calamity. Tim Duncan, the Sooners’ No. 1 kicker, had made only eight of 14 attempts heading into Saturday’s games.

Other who aren’t quite doing the job include: Syracuse’s Mike Shafer (six for 16), Colorado’s Mike Mariscal (six for 13), Louisiana State’s John Corbello (nine for 16), Iowa’s Nate Kaeding (11 for 19) and even Minnesota’s Dan Nystrom, who has made 20 but missed 11.

Perhaps coaches can share in the blame here, since most try to skate by without offering kickers scholarships--at least not at first. Once kickers feel like they’re coming to a school with more than a chance to just walk on, it might trigger an onslaught of players who begin to take the position more seriously.

DON’T INVITE THEM TO THE SAME DINNER PARTY

Tonya Butler has never met Heather Sue Mercer, but if she ever did, it probably wouldn’t be a very pretty scene.

Although some consider Mercer a champion of equal rights for women in sports, Butler is not among her fans, despite the fact that she and Mercer have a common bond.

Mercer is the former Duke walk-on kicker who won a $2-million judgment from a North Carolina jury Oct. 12 after claiming in a lawsuit she was cut from the Blue Devils’ football team because she is a woman.

Butler is a kicker for Middle Georgia College and this season has made all 30 of her extra-point tries. Before the Mercer case, Butler had been receiving calls from a number of four-year schools interested in her services.

Those calls have since stopped, mostly because schools likely are afraid of dealing with possible legal issues down the line.

“I hate Heather Sue Mercer,” Butler told the Macon Telegraph. “They kept three kickers and cut four. They cut her because she was a girl? That’s ridiculous. She’s an idiot. Obviously, she doesn’t know anything about football.”

If Mercer is ultimately awarded the money if Duke loses on appeal, she has said she will use it to establish a scholarship for female kickers. Butler isn’t interested.

If she offered me any money,” Butler said, “I’d spit on it.”

ALL THESE AWARDS ARE MAKING FOR TIGHT SQUEEZE

Quick, what do Todd Heap, Jerramy Stevens, Alge Crumpler, Brian Natkin, Derek Smith, Tim Statton, Tracey Wistrom and Tony Stewart have in common?

If you said they are all up-and-coming drivers on the Winston West circuit, you are absolutely . . . wrong.

The eight names make up the finalists for the inaugural John Mackey Award, honoring the nation’s best tight end.

Yes, you heard right.

As if we needed another award to compete with the Heisman, Lombardi, Outland, Butkus, O’Brien or Biletnikoff.

Mackey may go down as one of the best-ever at the position, but why do we feel a need to draw attention to such a specialized spot?

The Mackey winner, in the thrill of all thrills, will receive the award from the Nassau County Sports Commission next spring in Manhasset, N.Y.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Kicking ‘Em When They’re Down

Kickers are the players most taken for granted in football with the spotlight glaring brightest in the wake of winning or losing kicks. In the Pacific 10 Conference this season, and in plenty of other places, kickers have had a rough go, especially when you consider the six conferences tied into the Bowl Championship Series, which are supposed to be the strongest:

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Conference FGM/FGA Conversion Percentage Southeastern 109/143 .762 Atlantic Coast 66/93 .710 Big 12 104/154 .675 Big Ten 115/173 .665 Pacific 10 88/137 .642 Big East 58/92 .630

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Note: numbers are based on each conference team’s No. 1 kicker at the start of the season and are before Saturday’s games.

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--Compiled by JIM BARRERO