Former Belleville West kicker has heroic, record-breaking day in the NFL (original) (raw)

A week ago, Washington Commanders kicker Austin Seibert was unemployed. This week, he was carried off the field on the shoulders of his new teammates.

The former Oklahoma Sooner and graduate of Belleville West went 7-for-7 in field goal attempts, including the game-winner as regulation time expired, to push his new team past the New York Giants 21-18.

The seven straight field goals in one game set a new franchise record and is second all-time in the NFL.

Seibert told The Athletic that he continued to practice his form while he waited for a call from an NFL team. He often practiced in his backyard in Millstadt, aiming for a tall pine tree while his wife held for him, he said.

“That’s kind of the nature of the beast right now in the kicking world,” Seibert told The Athletic. “It’s just so competitive. You have to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves. The good thing is, sure, I was on the street for a week. And then I got the call. But that’s why you stay ready, at all times. ‘Cause you never know when you’re going to get that call.

“I learned that last year as well. I bounced around a little bit, and I had, like six or seven workouts with teams. And it would be spur of the moment; ‘Hey, you’re flying out in three hours. Good luck.’ That’s kind of how it works. You’ve just got to go with the flow, stay confident in yourself and trust what you do.”

Giants’ kicker Graham Gano got injured on the opening kickoff forcing them to use a two-point conversion and an emergency kicker. All three of their PATs failed, resulting in the three-point disparity at the end of the game.

Seibert, 27, meanwhile, accounted for all of the Commanders’ points for the day. In addition to the game winner, he hit on field goals of 27, 45, 26, 27, 29, and 33 yards.

Seibert was originally drafted in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns in 2019. A case of the yips on extra points and an injury to his hip left him as a journeyman the last three seasons. He has played for the Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions and New York Jets before signing with the Commanders last week.

But following the final kick, his teammates, who have been plagued by bad kickers, picked him up and carried him off the field triumphantly.

The Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year in 2018, Seibert ranks first in school and Big 12 Conference history in points with 499 and first in FBS history in career extra points (310) and extra point attempts (315).

He connected on 63-of-79 field goal attempts (79.7 percent) with a career best of 51 yards in his brilliant four-year career at Oklahoma.

Also one of the top punters in the Big 12 Conference, Seibert averaged 41.7 yards on his 179 college attempts. Oklahoma won four straight Big 12 Conference championships and advanced to the College Football playoff semifinals three times during his four-year career.

Before that, Seibert was known all over the metro-east high school football circuit for his booming kickoffs. He frequently aimed to kick the ball, not just into the endzone, but through the goal posts.

His agent is Dave Butz, the son of the late Washington defensive tackle of the same name who moved to Belleville after he was drafted by the old St. Louis football Cardinals in 1973 and continued to make it his home until his death in 2022.

Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels got his first win as a starting quarterback and through two games has looked great. But he has been unable to get his team into the end zone through the air.

Washington and its new kicker will be back on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals next week. Kickoff is at 7:15 p.m. Monday.

This story was originally published September 16, 2024, 4:13 PM.