My boy Ruffer is going where I almost went. To walk-on-land as a kicker. Luckily for Ruffer, Charlie isn’t a moron with blinders on (coughcoughDaviecough) and our kickers are so bad they NEED to find a different answer. But I’m happy for the kid. Not jealous. Not. At. All.
It’s great to see that Charlie is willing to look anywhere for a solution here, and sometimes that means inter-hall WRs that used to golf. I actually think the golf thing is what will give Ruffer a shot here. The point in the article is a good one, and very similar to the one I made a few weeks ago about muscle memory and repetition in kicking. (I also made the point that Malibu Most Wanted rules, and Bad Kermit can suck it.) Golf is the same way.  Get the swing down, repeat. Over and over and over. The club changes, you don’t (of course, with a few exceptions). Anyway, I think his golf experience should serve him well in the mechanics, and even the mental aspect.
Where things get different? Well, 2 big things. The first is pads. There is a world of difference between this…
(and no, have no clue who this kid is, it’s just to make a point)
And this…
People underestimate what pads do to you compared to kicking in a t-shirt and shorts. They get in the way, they feel weird, all of a sudden that helmet is clunking around on your head. This will be the first adjustment that The Ruffian (I’ve trademarked that, sniznatches) needs to make. If he can get past that, then he needs to figure out how to deal with this:
See, some people talk about the crowds and the noise. But that’s not all that big of a deal. You see the ball get snapped, you start your motion. The noise almost goes away. But somehow being okay with, comfortable with, the idea that a 320 pound dude a few yards away wants to KILL you? And you’re sub-6 feet and sub 190 and an ex-golfer/soccer player that just walked on last week? Well, now, that’s a more difficult adjustment.
IF The Ruffian can handle these two shifts and still kick well (assuming he’s kicking well given that they brought him onto the squad), he may have a chance to succeed.
Here’s to you Ruffian. Give ’em hell. (and 3 points please!)
(yes, this is The Ruffian’s new symbol. bite me.)
Don't take me, yourself, or life so seriously. This is supposed to be fun.
Biscuit co-founded HerLoyalSons in partnership with his ND roommate (Dillon Hall baby!), MQ, in 2006 and has been ranting about ND Football and everything Notre Dame since. He strongly believes in the mission of ND and its football program. Biscuit expects logic and data in arguments and will absolutely crush you if you come to a debate missing one or the other. He despises everything Michigan, and his favorite pastime is mocking Purdue.
- (Re)Introducing: DANCING LEPRECHAUNS - August 29, 2019
- Ticket Auction: ND vs USC - August 22, 2019
- No Respect! - December 14, 2018
