Vikings drafted kicker Will Reichard because of.............

Vikings drafted kicker Will Reichard because of how he handles pressure

www.twincities.com/2024/04/28/vikings-drafted-kicker-will-reichard-because-of-how-he-handles-pressure/

Will Reichard has long been known for his accuracy as a kicker. Not necessarily his power. Yet, when Alabama absolutely needed Reichard to come through from distance this year against Michigan in the Rose Bowl, he converted from 50 yards, then from 52 yards.

He always seems to be at his best when the lights are bright.

“It’s super important to be able to kick well in big-time pressure situations,” Reichard said. “That’s something that I take a lot of pride in.”

That should serve Reichard well as he steps into the pressure cooker that is being a kicker in Minnesota. He was selected by the Vikings in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday largely because they believe he can handle it. That much was apparent to special teams coordinator Matt Daniels throughout the pre-draft process.

“All this guy has done is have success,” Daniels said. “He’s shown how consistent he can truly be.”

The numbers spoke for themselves. Reichard set an NCAA record at Alabama with career 547 points — 84 field goals and 295 extra points. He most recently went 22 for 25 on field-goal attempts and 55 for 55 on extra-point attempts.

As the Vikings studied tape on Reichard, it often felt like they were watching replays. Most of the kicks looked the same, especially as they sailed through the uprights.

“In my personal evaluations, something I borrowed, is called net pattern,” college scout Steve Sabo said. “Where’s the ball hitting the net? You watch a lot of his kicks, and it’s center net, center net, center net.”

That’s a testament to Reichard and his attention to detail.

“The biggest thing that I appreciate within his game is how well he consistently strikes the ball,” Daniels said. “Never really does he have any miss hits. His balls always have good trajectory. He’s never had a field goal blocked, so that says a lot about the operation.”

Though the Vikings had a lot of interest in Reichard, they opted not to bring him for a private workout. Instead, they met with him on Zoom for a couple of hours, putting him on the spot with a bunch of different questions. How does he respond to certain situations? How does he like to be coached? How does he handle himself with his teammates?

“Those were the things that we wanted to dive into,” Daniels said. “Just truly kind of get to know the individual.”

Maybe the biggest thing the Vikings learned about Reichard throughout the draft process was his passion for his craft. He’s literally been preparing for this moment since he was about 8 years old.

“I grew up playing soccer,” Reichard said. “My dad decided that I needed to be a little bit tougher on the soccer field. So, I signed up for football, and when it came for kicking trials, I was the only soccer player on the team. I won the job and found out that I really loved it. Just kind of stuck with it and been training ever since.”

Now he’s here.

“It’s my lifelong dream to play in the NFL, and the Vikings have given me an opportunity to come in and compete,” Reichard said. “I’m super grateful for that.”