The Kicker: How Nick Weiler Returned a Crucial Element to UNC’s Offense

When UNC junior place-kicker Nick Weiler watched the ball sail through the uprights after a career-long 48 yard attempt last weekend, it was proof that times have changed.

Last season the Tar Heels failed to hit a single field goal attempt from beyond 30 yards. In UNC’s first two games this year Weiler has connected on all three of his tries so far–with the shortest being from 38–emerging as one of the team’s biggest surprises.

Immediately noticeable on the field thanks to his long, flowing ponytail, Weiler has spent each of the last two seasons as the Tar Heels’ kickoff specialist—where his 64-yard average ranked second nationally in 2014. He kicked extra points last year as well, but struggled in limited place-kicking duties–going 5-of-8 on field goal attempts late in the season after taking over for Thomas Moore. The longest of those makes came from just 23 yards.

“Kicking field goals is different from kicking kickoffs,” Weiler said after practice Tuesday. “I love kicking kickoffs—you just go out there and go hit the ball. So when I was making that transition, midseason last year, to field goals, I was having trouble changing mindsets–from field goal to kickoffs, kickoffs to field goals.”

Weiler, a native of Fairfax Station, Virginia, entered this offseason as the favorite to retain the job, but with how bad the team was at kicking field goals last season, competition was guaranteed in training camp. It was just simply tougher to win football games when there was no solid option to tack on three points when they were needed.

Redshirt freshman Freeman Jones was hoping to snatch the role away just like Weiler had done to Moore on a year ago, but ultimately lost out in the final week of training camp.

“Freeman, he’s a great kicker,” Weiler said. “We really pushed each other this offseason, and in camp, and in the spring. It helps a lot when you have someone pushing you, and you’re pushing someone else.”

Technically, there was a small tweak to his kicking approach—but overall Weiler felt like he was fine in that regard.

The biggest issue he had didn’t relate to his legs. He had to get right between the ears if he was going to beat out Jones for the job.

“I shortened my steps a little bit,” Weiler said. “But most of last year was more mental–Just confidence, not trusting my swing, trusting myself, and kind of hesitating mid-swing.”

Offseason workouts with his holder and snapper brought a new sense of confidence to Weiler. In his eyes, the competition was just a formality. He was finally starting to see a real change.

“Towards the end of spring, I had it figured it out,” Weiler said. “I was kinda sad, upset that spring ball was ending so soon because things had just started clicking. So when we got back this summer for May and June, me, [long snapper] Kyle [Murphy], and [holder] Joey [Mangili], used to get together and we were getting pretty automatic.

“We kinda knew it was gonna be a good fall,” he added.

Kickers are often mocked for not fitting the “alpha-male” football stereotype, but it usually goes ignored how difficult it is to maintain a clear state of mind before attempting a crucial field goal.

 

It’s for that reason kickers usually have some type of ritual that gets them in the zone. For Weiler, it’s messing around with his holder, junior Joey Mangili that’s been the trick this season.

“Me and Joey go out there, we find the spot, and I always make a joke,” Weiler said. “I always put [the ball] like an inch away from where he puts it. It kind of calms us down.

“[After that], I know I’m gonna shorten my steps, stay confident, go up through the ball, and visualize it going through the uprights.”

Yes, it’s only two games into the season.

But if Weiler can maintain this high level of play it’ll be safe to say that by shortening his steps, he’ll have helped the Tar Heels take quite a big step of their own—restoring a crucial element of the game necessary to be one of the top teams in the ACC.