Though he went from a walk-on to one of just 32 NFL kickers, Chandler Catanzaro is thoroughly impressed with what Greg Huegel did this past year at Clemson.
“I have a ton of respect for that kid. A good word for him is poise,” the former Clemson kicker said.
Few have as much poise as Catanzaro. Not only was he “Mr. Automatic” when he was a Tiger from 2010-’13, but he has been nearly perfect in his NFL career, too. This past season Catanzaro played a big role in Arizona’s 13-3 season, which concluded in the NFC Championship game.
Catanzaro finished the year 28-of-31 in field goals, as his 90.3 percent success rate was one of the NFL’s best. But he admits poise is something kickers have to develop, and he is impressed with how poised Huegel is at such a young age.
If you recall, in his first season at Clemson, Catanzaro struggled at times. He connected on just 64 percent of his kicks (14-22) in 2010. But by the end of his freshman year, he began to develop the poise and the confidence it takes to be a successful kicker in college and in the NFL.
He made a clutch field goal at Florida State later that year that tied the game with under two-minutes to play. The next year, with the ACC Atlantic Division Championship on the line, he made a 43-yard field goal as time expired to beat Wake Forest.
In 2012, he did it again. This time it was a 37-yard field goal as expired to beat No. 6 LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. He is the only Clemson kicker to make two game-winning field goals as time expired.
Huegel, a former walk-on himself, did not have to kick any game-winning or tying field goals in 2015, but he did make some pressure-packed kicks. At Louisville, his first road game, he made kicks of 36 and 27 yards in the Tigers’, 20-17, victory.
The following week against Notre Dame, he made a fourth-quarter field goal of 35 yards in hurricane-like conditions such as swirling winds and rain. He also made difficult kicks at NC State and vs. Florida State.
“I can think of multiple games, and Syracuse comes to mind big time, when he nailed two 40-plus yard field goals and another one to keep them in the game. He had a heck of a year – an All-American,” Catanzaro said.
Huegel earned Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his performance at Syracuse as he nailed kicks of 38, 31, and then the game-clincher, a 42-yard field goal with 3:20 to play in the game.
“The kid is good. I’m a Greg Huegel fan,” Catanzaro said.
Huegel made three more clutch field goals in the Orange Bowl and two in the National Championship Game. By the end of the season, he broke two Clemson records. He broke C.J. Spiller’s record for points scored in a season with 137 and he broke Jad Dean’s single-season record for field goals with 27 made kicks.
The redshirt freshman finished the season 27 of 32 – a success rate of 84.4 percent.
With three years to go, Huegel is likely to break almost every record greats like Catanzaro, David Treadwell, Chris Gardocki, Obed Ariri, Donald Igwebuike and Nelson Welch have set at Clemson.
“I wish he wait a little bit to do that. Take it easy a little bit,” Catanzaro said smiling. “I’m a huge Greg Huegel fan and hopefully I will get to see him this off-season and get to kick with him a little.”
If you haven’t already order your copy today of Guts & Glory – Tales of Clemson’s Historic 2015 Football Season to help you celebrate and remember this special season.
