Special Teams Football Academy Blog: Collegiate Football

Showing posts with label Collegiate Football. Show all posts

Friday, November 1, 2013

Collegiate Football- The Freshman Experience- Derek Witte

Get To Know Our Freshman Collegiate Specialists

Over the next few weeks, we will be doing a little segment of interviews with some of the athletes we have helped along the way that are freshmen this year and playing college football this fall season.

In our fifth installment we interview Derek Witte, who is currently at St Cloud State University, and is handling their starting kick off duties.

Derek Witte SCSU Head Shot

A short and sweet interview:
1. Name of your School: St.Cloud State University

2. What high school did you attend? Verona High School (Wisconsin)

3. The very first collegiate football practice, I felt… Both excited and nervous! Intimidated by the experience of all of the other guys, but also ready to get out and compete again! Especially at the college level which I had been shooting to play at for years!

4. Athletic Status (True Freshman or Redshirt): True Freshman

5. If not Red Shirted, have you had a chance to play in a game yet? Yes, I have handled all kickoffs

6. Biggest memory/moment so far your freshman year? Getting a touch back on the opening kickoff of our first game

Kicking a Field Goal in High School

7. The 2 biggest differences between high school and college football: With just being a kicker, you are incorporated in a lot less of practice. It's your responsibility to get your reps in on your own sometimes because you may only get 3-4 live reps in practice.

8. What did you work on most prior to the start of your college year? The change from kicking from a block to off the ground for field goals.

9. Best advice you received to prepare you for collegiate football: Come ready to compete, because you’re not going to be the big dog anymore, you’re surrounded by all the big dogs.

10. Most memorable moment as a high school athlete. I can’t pick out one play, or even one game. I would easily say that it’s being able to play the sport that you love with your best friends that you have grown up playing with your whole life. Those are memories that I will never forget.

11. 2 Biggest Role Models: High school coach Dave Richardson and my parents.

12. Three songs you need to listen to before each game: Don’t really listen to music before games, but I have lots of other pre-game superstitions that go on throughout the whole week!

13. Do you have a hidden talent, if so, what is it? None that I can think of

Derek kickoff at Verona HS (WI)

Wishing you continued success the rest of the season.

Chris Husby
Professional Kicking Coach and Owner
Special Teams Football Academy
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Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Collegiate Football- The Freshman Experience- Jake Elliott

Get To Know Our Freshman Collegiate Specialists

Over the next few weeks, we will be doing a little segment of interviews with some of the athletes we have helped along the way that are freshmen this year and playing college football this fall season.

In our fourth installment we interview Jake Elliott, who is currently at Memphis University. He is their starting kicker and having a great year so far.

Jake Elliott

A short and sweet interview:
1. Name of your School: University if Memphis

2. What high school did you attend? Lyons Township High School (IL)

3. The very first collegiate football practice, I felt… I was very nervous and wasn't sure what was going on half the time. It was much more organized as far as being on a time schedule. It takes some getting used to as far as knowing where to be when.

4. Athletic Status (True Freshman or Redshirt): True freshman

5. If not Red Shirted, have you had a chance to play in a game yet? I have started every game so far on field goals and kickoffs.

Jake kicking off for Memphis University as a Freshman.

6. Biggest memory/moment so far your freshman year? I've had a few of them. Making a touchdown saving tackle on kickoff. Recently, it is tying the school record with 5 field goals in one game and also having 3 tackles the same game.

7. The 2 biggest differences between high school and college football: The amount of pressure on you to execute because of the stadium size and the number of people relying on you.

8. What did you work on most prior to the start of your college year? Directional kickoffs because nothing is a guaranteed touch back unless it's kicked over 75 yards every time.

9. Best advice you received to prepare you for collegiate football: Stick with what you know and kick within yourself. You are plenty good to be here, if you weren't you wouldn't be here.

Jake after a game winner in high school.

10. Most memorable moment as a high school athlete. Kicking a game winning field goal from 52 yards on homecoming.

11. 2 Biggest Role Models: My dad and high school tennis coach.

12. Three songs you need to listen to before each game: I change the music every game.

13. Do you have a hidden talent, if so, what is it? Tennis is actually probably my best sport.

Jake kicking a field goal in high school

Monday, October 28, 2013

Collegiate Football- The Freshman Experience- Joe Tjosvold

Joe at South Dakota State before a game.

In our third installment we interview Joe Tjosvold, who is currently at South Dakota State University as a red shirt freshman. Joe has developed a big leg on kickoffs and will have a strong chance to start as a kickoff specialist next fall.

Joe kicking at Tartan High School

A short and sweet interview:
1. Name of your School: South Dakota State University

2. What high school did you attend? Tartan High School

3. The very first collegiate football practice, I felt… Excited

4. Athletic Status (True Freshman or Redshirt): Redshirt

5. If not Red Shirted, have you had a chance to play in a game yet? Not yet

6. Biggest memory/moment so far your freshman year? Being ranked 6th in the nation for D1 AA

7. The 2 biggest differences between high school and college football: Everyone is bigger. College football is a lot more fun.

8. What did you work on most prior to the start of your college year? Conditioning

9. Best advice you received to prepare you for collegiate football: Keep calm and drop bombs

10. Most memorable moment as a high school athlete. Being a Captain

11. 2 Biggest Role Models: Jackie Moon

12. Three songs you need to listen to before each game: Afternoon Delight by Starland Vocal Band at least 3 times

13. Do you have a hidden talent, if so, what is it? I can dunk a basketball on a 9 foot rim.

Training with Joe

Collegiate Football- The Freshman Experience- Ryan Anderson

In our second installment we interview Ryan Anderson, who is currently at The University of St Thomas. Ryan is getting a very good first year of college experience under a national power house football program.

A short and sweet interview:
1. Name of your School: St. Thomas University

2. What high school did you attend? Champlin Park High School

3. The very first collegiate football practice, I felt… at first "in the way." You definitely need to take charge and help in areas you feel need it.

4. Athletic Status (True Freshman or Redshirt): True Freshman

5. If not Red Shirted, have you had a chance to play in a game yet? No, not yet. Just scrimmages

6. Biggest memory/moment so far your freshman year? Made 12 field goals in a row from various locations during camp. Everyone was watching and I was more nervous that I have ever been in high school. Worst part was, I over kicked in the first week and I had a badly pulled quad.

7. The 2 biggest differences between high school and college football: You need to look for opportunities to work. In high school, coaches will tell you what to do. In college, if you are standing around looking for someone to point you in a direction, you won't go far.

8. What did you work on most prior to the start of your college year?   I worked on my field goals and learned how to get that same "pop" on the ball when it's off the ground. It was a pretty big change for me, but I think I'm getting used to it.

9. Best advice you received to prepare you for collegiate football: Don't come in to camp "as a freshman." Come in to camp and take the lead, coaches need leaders of all ages.

10. Most memorable moment as a high school athlete.   We played Armstrong in our homecoming game my Junior year. I put 7 kickoffs all into the end zone for touchbacks. It felt amazing.

11. 2 Biggest Role Models: My high school football kicking coach- Coach Ferraro- He taught me how to work hard in everything that I do. And also- My parents- They have taught me so many things, but the one that stands out is that they showed me how to believe in myself.

12. Three songs you need to listen to before each game: 1- Remember the Name- Fort Minor   2- The Tommies theme song for 2012   3- Back in the New York groove- calms me down before the game

13. Do you have a hidden talent, if so, what is it?   I love to cook. I've heard that I'm quite good but I'm not going to toot my own horn!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Collegiate Football- The Freshman Experience- Ruan Albuquerque

In our first installment, we interviewed Ruan Albuquerque, who is currently at Rochester Community and Technical College, for the year with hopes of being able to transfer to a larger school. Ruan is currently having a fantastic season and is leading his conference in scoring. He is 13 for 19 on Field Goals and is 38 for 42 on PATs.

A short and sweet interview:
1. Name of your School: Rochester Community and Technical College

2. What high school did you attend? Wayzata High School (Plymouth, MN)

3. The very first collegiate football practice, I felt… On my first practice I felt a bit nervous I had very good competition and I was trying to show my coaches what I was capable off

4. Athletic Status (True Freshman or Redshirt): True Freshman

5. If not Red Shirted, have you had a chance to play in a game yet? Yes

6. Biggest memory/moment so far your freshman year? Tying the school record for most field goals made in the game previously set by an NFL kicker Rhys Lloyd

7. The 2 biggest differences between high school and college football: Smaller uprights and way more pressure coming at you.

8. What did you work on most prior to the start of your college year? adding more distance on my kickoffs

9. Best advice you received to prepare you for collegiate football: To be legendary and to create a legacy

10. Most memorable moment as a high school athlete. Winning the state tournament my Senior year

11. 2 Biggest Role Models: My dad and my mom

12. Three songs you need to listen to before each game: 1- Homecoming by K. West 2- Lose my mind by Y. Jeezy 3-My name is HOV by Jay Z

13. Do you have a hidden talent, if so, what is it? I'm a Jiu Jitsu fighter