Football
Record Set At College Football Game
Playingfootballfor a high school football or college footballteam in an avid college football state, populated with enthusiastic football sports fans, can result in pressure packed situations. Any game on the football schedule has the potential for a thrilling outcome. The heroes often are the known superstars, but sometimes that special moment is reserved for the more unheralded players.
That is as true in Lincoln, Nebraska as it is any place else. In a sport that usually gives the laud and honor to the high flying tailbacks or the gutsy option-running quarterbacks who invariably come from out of state, the hero of the last game in Nebraska’s 2008 football schedule, on Friday, November 27, was place kicker Alex Henery. Not only did his kick win the game, but it set a new team record as well.
Alex Henery, who played high school football and soccer at nearby Omaha Burke, has been turning heads all season. In his role as place kicker at the University of Nebraska, Henery has been stellar. Still, it was not until the game against Colorado that he would face the opportunity to kick a game winner.
No one thought the football game would be easy, and Colorado jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter. The Huskers fought back, but it was clear that getting the win would be tough at best. With less than two minutes left in the game and down by the score of 31-30, the Huskers faced a fourth down on Colorado’s forty yard line. The coach decided to go for the fifty-seven yard field goal attempt. Henery had made three field goals earlier in the game to help bring the Huskers back within striking distance, but even with Nebraska’s storiedfootballhistory, the record for the longest field goal was fifty-five yards. Henery’s attempt would be two yards longer than the record.
Colorado called a timeout in an attempt to unnerve Henery. It did not work. The snap was good, the hold was clean, and as soon as the ball left Henery’s foot, it was clear that it was long enough and straight enough. Memorial Stadium erupted as the Huskers took the lead and the win.
Alex Henery is no stranger to success, having been selected for all-state sportsteams in high school. Still, playing sportsunder the big lights in a well known stadium can be daunting to even the most experienced athlete, whether in professional sports or college sports. Henery handled it with aplomb, confidently nailing the kick, establishing the team record, and sealing the win. Alex Henery would be a hero in any football league.
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