Will Reichard sets FBS all-time scoring record with FG during SEC Championship
Will Reichard has epitomized consistency during his five-year career. The Alabama placekicker entered Saturday’s SEC Championship with 80 made field goals and 290 extra points during his career in Tuscaloosa, needing one more field goal to become the game’s all-time points leader.
He didn’t waste any time, nailing a 43-yard field goal in the first quarter. That gave him 533 career points — and it moved him atop the list.
Reichard set the SEC’s all-time points record earlier this year after choosing to return for his fifth season at Alabama. That was just one part of his journey to scoring the most points in FBS history, and he added another accolade to his resume Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Since arriving in Tuscaloosa, Reichard has only missed 16 field goals out of 96 attempts. This year, he’s a cool 19-for-22, and has made all of his extra point attempts over the last two years.
But when the rare miss happens, he has to bounce back and make the proper adjustments. That advice doesn’t come from Nick Saban, though.
“What I’ve learned through the years is most of these guys, they really don’t look to a coach,” Saban said on Hey Coach and The Nick Saban Show earlier this month. “They kind of know. Will Reichard really knows when he hits it well. He missed them both just to the right, and his ball usually just hooks a little bit. Just a little bit. And neither one of them did, and he just missed both of them by probably that much. The first one he hit really good. The second one, not so good.”
Saban played defensive back at Kent State and his background is in coaching the defense. As such, he tries not to wade too far into the mentality of a kicker. Although he has some words of encouragement if Reichard misses a kick, he knows not to say too much to get in his head.
That’s why his message is simple.
“He just tells you how it went, and I just pat him on the butt and say, ‘Don’t worry about it. Make the next one,’” Saban said. “Because they technically know exactly.”
Saban compared it to another sport — one he knows well — to make that point.
“I mean, it’s almost like a golfer,” Saban said. “You kind of technically know when you’re hitting it right or when you’re taking it too far inside or not turning enough or whatever it is, and you can fix yourself. I think when we start telling guys like Will Reichard how to do what he does, it probably can mess them up more than it can help them.”