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Nick Saban explains why kickers such as Will Reichard are ‘like assassins’
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Nick Saban met with the media Wednesday to discuss Alabama kicker Will Reichard, among other orders of business. The normally dependable Reichard wasn’t so dependable last Saturday night against Texas A&M.
Reichard missed a 47-yard attempt late in the 3rd quarter and on the Crimson Tide’s next possession missed a 35-yarder with 9:15 left in the game, preventing Alabama each time from taking a 2-score lead. The misses almost cost the Tide the game and their undefeated record, but Bama was able to hold the Aggies off at the end of the game.
Reichard, who did make a 50-yard field goal at the end of the 1st half, was off the hook.
And on Wednesday, Saban gave his senior kicker a pat on the back of sorts while speaking with reporters.
Saban: "Will (Reichard)'s been kicking for a long time. We've got a lot of confidence in him. Nobody can make every kick. But I just don't want him to press. I don't want him to feel like there's any anxiety or pressure."
— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) October 12, 2022
Nick Saban on Will Reichard: "We've got a lot of confidence in him."
— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) October 12, 2022
“Will (Reichard)’s been kicking for a long time. We’ve got a lot of confidence in him,” Saban said. “Nobody can make every kick. But I just don’t want him to press. I don’t want him to feel like there’s any anxiety or pressure.”
Reichard is 7 of 10 on field-goal attempts this season, with his other miss coming from 50-plus yards. He also has made 2 kicks from that distance, including the 1 on Saturday. His longest made kick of the season is 52 yards in the Week 2 victory at Texas.
Reichard is also a perfect 35 of 35 on extra points in 2022, and Saban has the ultimate respect for what his kicker does.
Saban on kickers: “Those guys aren’t like players … they’re like assassins.”
— Michael Casagrande (@ByCasagrande) October 12, 2022
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
