Alex Karras, the legendary defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions, more famous for playing Mongo in Mel Brook's "Blazing Saddles," utterly hated kickers. He resented how easy they had it at practice. He hated how he could work and sweat and punch and claw for sixty minutes in the mud and cold, and then the game would come down to a tiny, skinny little guy with a funny accent.
He hated kickers, and quarterbacks. His grumpy hatred served him well, however. He was angry and tenacious in the middle, and his 1956-57 Iowa team beat the Beavers in the Rose Bowl, the second-to-last time OSU ever made it to The Granddaddy (they last went in 1965, losing 34-7 to Michigan). Karras made the College Football Hall of Fame, and after the Lions cut him in 1971 he enjoyed a long career in movies and television.
But not even Alex Karras could hate Eric Solis, a 5-10 walk-on from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California. Because Rob Beard is suspended and the Oregon coaches want to redshirt touted freshman Alejandro Maldonado, Solis will be the starting kicker for the PAC-10 champions for one week. He wears number 48 in the program and plans to major in Sports Marketing.
Over the last few years Solis' Notre Dame High has become a cradle of kickers, sending Nick Folk to the Dallas Cowboys and All-American Kai Forbath to UCLA. Getting named the starting kicker at ND is a big deal.
A left-footed soccer style kicker, Solis (pronounced so-LEESE) had a long of 51 yards in high school, and a long kickoff of 75 yards. Ironically, the 51-yarder came with one second left, and gave Solis' Notre Dame squad a 23-21 victory over Crespi High of Encino, the high school team of his current Duck teammates Brian Bennett, Hroniss Grasu, and Blake Stanton. In that game Solis had field goals of 26 and 20 yards in addition to the hero kick, and the loss cost Crespi a spot in the playoffs.
They probably hate kickers too.
[follow up note: The story gets even better. Rob Moseley features Solis in his print story today in the Register-Guard, and it turns out that Bennett and Grasu recommended Solis to the Oregon coaches, having a hand in his invitation to walk-on.
Though they went to rival schools Bennett and Solis were friends off the field. When Solis hit the dramatic game-winning kick, Bennett told Moseley, “It was tough, but I was proud of him. He was a buddy of mine, and he made it, fair and square.”]
I think it goes without saying that a strong kicking game (punts, kick offs and field goals) is key to a great season. But many casual fans miss that point. Kicking and other general special team play determines the outcome of several games per season.
ReplyDeleteGood morning BP,
ReplyDeleteNo doubt, the kicking game is crucial. I'm looking forward to Jackson Rice's improvement in year two. He'll probably be more consistent. In year one he showed signs of becoming a very good punter, although he was prone to the occasional shank. Reminded me of my golf game. He did show a knack for directional punting and getting the ball down inside the twenty, which is a tremendous weapon in aiding the defense, puts them in position to step on the neck of the opponent's offense.
It says a lot about Oregon football that they are now getting walk-ons the caliber of Blake Stanton and Eric Solis. It's another reflection and residual benefit of the Ducks' success.
Four days. Productivity in this state is going to go down for the rest of the week.
Dale
i love you ericc its me alondra
ReplyDelete