Boys Varsity Football: Jeremy Moss Kicks It Up A Notch For The Cowboys

BY JACOB FIERMAN

The fans are screaming from the stands and communication is extremely limited. The Cowboys are trailing and they need the points to stay in the game. Senior kicker Jeremy Moss walks onto the field and begins to line up for the kick that will potentially save the game for the Cowboys. The ball is snapped and with incredible force, Moss sends the ball straight through the goal posts, securing a win for the Cowboys.

Moss started playing football at age twelve when he entered the 6^th grade. He gave kicking a shot and quickly became the kicker for the Cooper City Optimist team.

“When I first played football, I played defensive end,” Moss said. “After a couple of years, I realized that kicking was what I was really good at.”

Moss had a natural kicking ability from playing soccer for many years. When he entered high school, he started out as a JV kicker and joined the varsity team his junior year. As a junior, Moss had to split time with James Zawoyski and Brandon Cook, but this year Moss gets plenty of playing time as the starting kicker.

“Moss has many strengths,” Kicking Coach Tim Conrad said, “He has a very strong leg, he gets the ball up quickly, and is sound mechanically.”

Becoming a kicker didn’t just happen overnight for Moss, however. Conrad, who is also the founder and head instructor of Bigfoot Kicking Camp, has helped Moss tremendously.

“I’ve been working with Moss for 3-4 years,” Conrad said. “He has practiced 2-3 Sundays a month and stays consistent with training because he has the want and the drive to get better.”

Since freshman year, Moss has attended various kicking camps to better himself as a kicker including ones at Florida State University, Georgia Tech, Baylor University, Florida Atlantic University, and Florida International University.

“Going to the kicking camps is basically like college tryouts,” Moss said. “The colleges’ main goal is to evaluate if they can use you in their football program in the future.”

Although Moss hasn’t received any official offers he has spoken with a coach from Georgia Tech. With an incredible leg, a ton of practice, and great mental focus, Moss thinks he has a chance at playing for a college football team.

With the help of Coach Conrad and CCHS’ head coach Art Taylor, Moss does indeed have a good shot at playing college football, even division 1. Conrad has a lot of connections and he works on identifying colleges that need kickers, sends them Moss’s footage, and tries to get people to come watch him.

“This year I’m trying to finish up my highlight tape and start sending it out to schools,” Moss said, “If I perform well this year hopefully I will be able to get more offers.”

While many athletes understand the importance of performance under pressure, no other player understands it as much as a football kicker. Every game, Moss has the weight on his shoulders that the game could potentially be riding on one kick from him.

This is where the mental focus comes in, when the pressure is at its peak, Moss has to be able to focus and help his team put points on the board.

“Everything is focused on the kicker when the game is on the line,” Varsity Coach Art Taylor said. “At that moment the team is relying on the kicker to win the game.”

Though the kicker’s job is one of the most vital, the kicker is often a forgotten athlete. Moss kicks both field goals and kickoffs yet his contributions sometimes go unnoticed. However, having a great kicker is a huge factor and being able to determine the outcome of a game based on one single play is a big deal, and Moss continues to impress.

“There is always an incredible amount of pressure on kickers,” Moss said. “If you make the kick it’s considered no big deal, but if you miss a kick everyone notices.”

So the next time the game is coming down to the very last couple of seconds and Moss walks out onto the field to try and secure a victory, don’t forget to cheer for the unsung hero.