Personal Statement
I am a senior at Kent Denver School. I am a kicker and I am interested in playing football in college at a top academic institution. Kent Denver is the best academic high school in Colorado and I would like to continue my education at an institution with similar attributes. I am interested in pursuing a degree in Computer Science.
I was a career soccer player and only started playing football in July, 2016 before my junior year. My older brother was a great inspiration to me and my choice to kick footballs. He was actively pursuing to play football in college as a center, but due to a pulmonary embolism, his dreams were cut short. When he saw me kick a football, he cheered me on, and pushed me to pursue a position on our team. I cherished his support through my career and will be forever grateful. I have found football itself to be refreshing for its emphasis on the team and not the individual. I always felt out of place on my soccer teams, and it never was fun to be with my teammates after a game. Football is a brotherhood, and I cherish that. What I have come to love about kicking is the challenge of changing my form and tweaking small details in my game in order to perfect myself. I have dedicated my spring time to kicking, and choosing to quit track because of it. I am dedicating considerable amounts of time each day to watching film, kicking, and doing drills. The opportunity to continue to play football is what fuels me to play in college.
For the 2017 season, I was named all conference place kicker for the second consecutive year. I improved nearly all my statistics from my junior season
- Kick Offs - recorded touch backs on 29 of 54 kick-offs (54%) vs. 4 touchbacks in 2016.
- Extra Points - made 44 of 49 (90%) in my senior year vs. 86% during my junior year
- Field Goals - made 3 of 5 field goals in my senior year vs. 100% during my junior year.
I kicked off the ground the last 3-4 games of the season, with little issue. Note, that I have previously kicked off of 1/2" tee prior, so my adjustment was small.
I have a strong, accurate leg and have made field goals as far as 50 yards in practice. Since I have only been kicking for 22 months, I have been working on my technique and kicking field goals. In the off season, I have been working with my kicking coach to improve my technique as well as kick off distance.
In addition, I have been lifting weights exclusively for football, improving leg strength and overall flexibility. While, I know, I am behind other kickers with more experience, I know that I will improve and expect my kickoffs to continue to improve. I have already attended the Seattle Chris Sailer kicking camp and Vegas Camp. I am a person who sets goals and works hard to attain those goals.
