Kicking it as a walk on

Reporter lead – Life as a walk on college football player can be a real kicker. That’s the case with the backup placer kicker at Oklahoma State University.

VO Graphic: Courtesy Oklahoma State athletics

Brady Pohl is a redshirt freshman place kicker on the Oklahoma State football team, he is also one of the few players on the team who is a preferred walk on.

Pohl grew up in Liberty, Missouri, and didn’t get the recognition he thought he deserved. He went out and made a name for himself to get college football coaches interested.

SOT Brady Pohl

“I started going to college kicking camps to try and get my name out there. I got some film to OSU and they invited me to theirs. At first they didn’t consider me until I proved I could kick off the ground and then I got offered a preferred walk-on spot.”

Stand-up graphic on a football field setting up a football on a tee 20 yards from the goal posts

Being a walk on isn’t easy it takes mental toughness and good mechanics along with a lot of pressure at a place kicker. Oklahoma State is very familiar with walk on players going into the NFL, just ask former OSU Cowboy Blake Jarwin. But what are some short-term goals for a player who wants to walk on? A short-term goal is typically much easier for a walk on just line setting up for this chip shot field goal. Brady Pohl has a goal in mind for his remaining time here at Oklahoma State.

SOT Brady Pohl

“I would like to be the next starting kicker at OSU and earn a scholarship, but in the next year I really want to dial in on all my kicking form. I learn a lot from the guys around me and now I need to put in the time to apply it to my own craft.”

Stand-up of moving the tee back and setting up for a 40-50-yard field goal.

Everyone who has ever played a sport has always imagined themselves playing at a professional level. Most people don’t anticipate a walk on football player to be a professional at any point in their future. It’s not impossible, but very unlikely and sometimes there has to be a backup plan when determining long-term success. Just like when you’re about to attempt a 50-yard game winning field goal. You may want to look at the sideline and call a timeout to think it over again. Brady Pohl clearly has a pan in mind if things don’t work out.

SOT Brady Pohl

“My life after college football would be very different. As a lot of people in my spot would say the ideal situation would be continuing to kick in the NFL but I’m also working on a mechanical engineering degree.”

VO/SOT/ VO courtesy ESPN and OSU athletics

Brady Pohl is still working hard to finally get his name in the starting role of being the cowboys place kicker in the future and so far, he is off to a good start after he kicked his first collegiate field goal on the road against Kansas last month. One thing is for certain and that is a dream with a lot of hard work can become a reality whether you’re a walk on or not.

For the O’Colly I’m Brock Baldridge