EAGAN, Minnesota With more points than any other player in college football history when he departed Alabama, Will Reichard offered the Minnesota Vikings a possibility worth drafting as they continued their search for a reliable place kicker.
Undoubtedly, the NCAA lifetime scoring record is impressive on a CV. It is evident that Reichard possesses both leg strength and mechanical consistency. He radiates calmness and assurance at the same time.
But it was his five seasons with the Crimson Tide that finally elevated Reichard’s stature. Few things are more important to a kicker’s performance in the NFL than managing pressure, and where better to get practice than at Alabama, a legendary powerhouse program?
Playing at a setting like that undoubtedly prepared me better than other places, Reichard said. “I think it still remains to be seen obviously, with not having a season yet,” Reichard added. “I’m hoping that it will at least, not that I’m trying to talk bad about small schools.”
Reichard was selected by the Vikings with the 203rd overall pick in the sixth round. He was given the official job earlier this week when they waived John Parker Romo, a defensive back who showed promise in the XFL but has not yet kicked in an NFL regular season game.
According to coach Kevin O’Connell, “I think Will’s ready.”
Six years ago, the Vikings selected Auburn’s Daniel Carlson with a fifth-round choice and installed him on a struggling club fresh off an NFC championship game appearance. In a preseason game, Carlson missed two 42-yard field goals to try the patience of then-coach Mike Zimmer, after veteran Kai Forbath was released to guarantee the job.
Three weeks later, in a regular-season game against rival Green Bay, Carlson missed three field goals, two of which were in overtime that forced the Vikings to settle for a draw and led them to bench him the next day, evidently shook in confidence. In 2022, Carlson played for Las Vegas and was an All-Pro.
This franchise’s history of kicking mishaps predates Carlson. Late in the strongly favored Vikings’ home loss in the NFC championship game, Gary Anderson missed his first field goal of the 1998 season, traveling wide left. In a 2002 overtime loss, Doug Brien missed two extra points and a field goal at home in the Metrodome. The 2015 playoffs saw Blair Walsh miss a 27-yard field goal in a two-point loss.
While growing up in Hoover, Alabama, Reichard began kicking in the third grade. After breaking the Crimson Tide scoring record with 547 points on 84 field goals and 294 extra points from 2019–23, he was awarded the symbolic key to the city and recognized as a hometown hero. Along the way, he evolved from a specialist into a team leader. During the College Football Playoff semifinal matchup with Michigan, he scored two field goals that were longer than fifty yards. His career completion percentage was 83.2% for field goals and 99.3% for extra points.
Eddie is a steady man. He is a man who genuinely keeps an excellent, impartial perspective. Matt Daniels, the special teams coordinator for the Vikings, remarked, “You really never know when he’s in a good mood or when he’s in a bad mood.” “We really appreciate that he holds himself to high standards and expectations.”
Walsh was selected in the sixth round of the 2012 SEC draft out of Georgia. Like Carlson, he had a promising start to the season but eventually lost his rhythm and confidence after numerous costly errors. The Vikings have now turned to Reichard, a player who kicked for a tough coach in Nick Saban during his college career and a team with annual championship expectations, following Forbath, Carlson, Dan Bailey, and Greg Joseph.
“Most kicking is psychological. Simply put, a lot of effort and mentality go into it. I also believe that people’s wiring plays a role, Reichard added. “While some people can, others cannot.”