‘The Foot’ kicks his way to Hall of Fame
“I remember when I was 6 years old, my dad would come home from work and we would go out in the street to kick a football. I’m not sure why, but he would always take off his dress shoes and kick barefoot. I guess that’s where I got it. I’ve tried both ways. I just have a better feel for the football when I’m kicking barefoot. Because of some knee injuries and maybe a little favoritism going on, I only got to play one game as a senior at Sterling High School. I tried a 45-yard field goal, and that was it. But I knew I had a strong leg, and I was determined to play college ball. I reached out to a few schools, and I got a chance to try out for Kilgore College. The head coach only needed to see me kick for 20 minutes. He took me back to the field house and typed up a scholarship.”
While kicking as a freshman, a freak injury on an AstroTurf field in the team’s eighth game ended his college career. “Three knee surgeries later, I had missed my window. I felt pretty defeated.”
“Throughout my marriage, I would go out and kick about every six months. I knew I still had it. But my ex-wife didn’t want me to get back in the game. She was afraid I was going to get hurt again. Spring forward to when I was 34. I go through a nasty divorce. Didn’t have anyone telling me what to do anymore. So I decided to start playing again.”
What followed was a 14-year career in semipro football, playing for several teams in the Houston area — the last 10 years with the Texas Red Raiders. “That’s where I made a name for myself. I was known as The Foot. I finished my career with 702 points and played in six or seven all-star games.”
Seven knee surgeries and two neck surgeries finally took a toll, leading to retirement in 2018 at age 48. But after being selected to enter the Minor League Football Hall of Fame on Nov. 18 in Las Vegas, “It makes my knees and my neck feel a little bit better.”
— Jerry Michalsky
The 53-year-old plans to kick in one more game, as part of an all-star team playing a team from Colorado during the Hall of Fame weekend. “They’re not supposed to be able to rush on field goals and punts, so I think I’ll be OK.”
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