Ohio State’s Mike Nugent has wowed onlookers while kicking nine field goals of 40 yards or longer this season. But it’s nothing his neighbors haven’t seen him do in his back yard.
Nugent’s father, Dan, constructed a full-sized metal goal post for his son behind their home.
Said Dan: “He can go up to a 45-yard field goal at the end of our yard. More than that, he has to go into the neighbor’s yard.”
Mike proved he had a future in the sport when he launched a 43-yarder through the uprights in a game with the sixth-grade Centerville Wee Elks.
Dan started out by putting extensions on a soccer goal the family already owned and soon replaced that with a sturdier model that he said “will last a lifetime.”
It has been put to good use.
“He’d go out there until dark and kick until he couldn’t find the balls anymore,” Dan said.
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The hard work has paid off.
After attending Ohio State kicking camps during summers in high school, Nugent realized his lifelong dream when he was offered a scholarship by OSU after his senior year while on his way to an official visit with Pittsburgh.
The sophomore overcame a shaky first year to become the first pure kicker at OSU to be named All-American. Going into the Fiesta Bowl, he has made 24-of-26 field goals and 41-of-42 extra points (the miss came on a botched snap from center).
“If we didn’t have Nug, we wouldn’t be where we are right now,” holder and punter Andy Groom said. “He knows that, and the whole team knows that.”
Splitting time during his first year with redshirt freshman Josh Huston, Nugent made just 7-of-14 field goals. Huston was an even drearier 3-of-10.
But Nugent never ducked the media nor made excuses. He didn’t crumble. He simply geared up for another crack at the starting job.
“I think it’s one of the things that determines who’s a good kicker and who’s a bad kicker,” Nugent said. “With any sport, if you have a bad season, you can’t just fall apart after that.”
Injuries knocked Huston out of the race, but Nugent didn’t win the job by default.
When he kicked a 45-yarder in the opener against Texas Tech–back-yard range–he had the confidence surge he needed.
“He worked so hard in the off-season,” Groom said. “I thought he had an all-right year (in 2001), but this year he’s just done a phenomenal job.”
Against Washington State, Nugent was unshakable on two tries from 43 yards and another from 45.
Two weeks later, he nailed a 51-yarder against Indiana.
“When I think about it, I was never too nervous this season,” he said. “Even on the 51-yarder, I didn’t get out there and go, `Oh, God, this is a real deep ball.’ I thought, `Here’s three more points we need to put on the board.’ Luckily, I came through 24 times.”