Texas Tech kicker knows how to inspire

There is no such thing as a perfect team. I don’t care what Mercury Morris says. It’s just… There is no such thing as a perfect team. I don’t care what Mercury Morris says. It’s just impossible. Just look at the current Texas Tech football team. The Red Raiders are 8-0 and ranked No. 6 in the nation. Yet they’re turning to a fan to kick for them. You heard that, right? (Note: That’s for those of you listening to the audio book of this column). A fan. But, Adam, how could such a great team do that? Good thing you asked, inquisitive reader. You see, Texas Tech has had some issues with kickers this year. Combined, senior Cory Fowler and freshman Donnie Carona missed six point-after-touchdowns and made 50 percent of their field goals this season. You could also say they missed 50 percent of their field goals this season if you’re a pessimist. On Sept. 20, Matt Williams, a sophomore at Texas Tech, won a month of free rent by kicking a 30-yard field goal at the halftime of Tech’s game against Massachusetts. Williams was told to stop by head coach Mike Leach’s office during the week. Shortly after, Williams was practicing with the team. And this past Saturday he saw his first action. He kicked for the Red Raiders against Kansas, then ranked No. 23 in the country. Williams led, well not led, but assisted in a 63-21 rout of Kansas. He didn’t attempt any field goals, but went 9-9 on PATs. Corona attempted the only field goal on the day, missing from 43 yards. How great is that? Think of it like ‘Rudy,’ but much more enjoyable because it doesn’t involve Notre Dame. It might seem odd to place a fan in such an important game, and one on the road, but Williams does have some kicking experience. He transferred to Texas Tech after attending Tarleton State, in Stephenville, Texas, where he walked on the Division II school’s football team as a kicker. He didn’t attempt any kicks while on the team, though. But it wasn’t just his prior experience that made Leach confident in his new kicker. ‘I thought the tough one was winning the free rent,’ said Leach to reporters after the game. ‘You come out in your shorts and your street shoes and you have to kick a 30-yarder in front of 55,000 people. That was tough.’ Now, normally a transfer student would have to sit out a year before joining his new team, per NCAA regulations. But the NCAA made an exception in this case, because, according to the Associated Press, Williams didn’t attempt any kicks at Tarleton, nor was he recruited by the school or there on scholarship. I think we can all read between those lines, though. This wasn’t about scholarships or attempted kicks. No, the NCAA knows a story when it sees one, and this is quite a story. The type of story that movies are made out of and urban legends are born from. This could be the push teams ‘mdash; professional and collegiate ‘mdash; need to finally allow fans to play for them. It’s not as extreme as it sounds, there is somewhat of a precedent for this. Look no further than Eddie Franklin and Henry Rowengartner. What? You don’t know about the fan that coached the New York Knicks to the NBA Playoffs and saved the franchise from moving to St. Louis, or the 12-year-old who was taken from the bleachers of Wrigley Field to pitch for the Cubs? Granted, those happened in movies, ‘Eddie’ and ‘Rookie of the Year,’ to be specific. But those are two of the finest sports movies ever made, and if you don’t think that counts for something, then I just don’t think we can be friends. If Williams is successful, or better yet, continues his success, it won’t be the kiss cam or T-shirt gun that excites fans at sports games anymore. It’ll be a chance to suit up for the second half. A month of free rent is nice, as are cash prizes or tickets to a future game, but it’s time to up the ante sports teams. Make a shot from half-court during a basketball game? Lace up your sneaks buddy, you’re starting at shooting guard in the second half. Just a bit of advice, this Kobe guy you’re guarding is pretty good, but just try to have fun. Knock in a shot from center ice during intermission at a hockey game? Well hope you like the smell of sweat, cause toss on these goalie pads and get between the pipes. Times are hard. I mean, man, this economy, you know. What better way to get people to buy usually overpriced tickets to sporting events than to present them with a shot at playing in the game? We fans need this. Williams isn’t just doing this for the free rent, which he had to turn down as to not violate NCAA rules. He’s doing it for all us who had to give up sports for one reason or another, usually because we weren’t good enough to continue. So this Saturday, when Williams is kicking against No. 1 Texas, I’ll be watching intently. And you should too. If he does well, and Tech pulls off the upset, imagine where it can take fandom. Heck, even if Tech loses, but Williams plays well, it could open doors, especially those leading to locker rooms. Who knows, maybe next year you could crush Williams’ dream by blocking one of his field goals. After all, you’ll be on the team because you’ll likely win the inaugural ‘Guess What Number the Coach is Thinking Of’ contest. -Think you have what it takes to win a contest and get a shot at fame? E-mail Adam at aml84@pitt.edu