Kyson Spencer

Athlete Bio

Journey of a Kicker

It’s a hot, grueling day in the middle of July and while most kids are sleeping in or watching TV, I'm standing on the sidelines watching football. I joined football my freshman year not really wanting to play; I only joined because my older brother did at the time. I was definitely the smallest and shortest kid on the team and I had no idea how to play football. My first practice was very boring. I mainly stood on the sideline and did not participate at all. As practice went they started kicking field goals and no one could do it. All the big linemen tried and could barely kick the ball. As the coach was about to end practice I asked if I could try. I knew I could kick because I have played soccer my entire life. If I could kick a soccer ball, I knew I could kick a football. The ball went flying through the air and all the coaches were amazed! I knew this was the start of my journey.

Coming into my sophomore year, I was struggling with lower back pain and it was exhausting. Coach Harmon, our strength and conditioning coach, made us lift heavy weights everyday. He is a very strict man and demands perfection. I weighed in at 90 pounds my freshman year, and having to squat heavy weights put a ton of pressure on my lower back. Over time it got worse. Our first game of the season was coming and my back was still bothering me but I couldn't sit out against Locust Grove . I took enough ibuprofen to make my back completely numb, so I was able to play in the first opening game. We ended up winning the game and I made a field goal, kicking very well that game. After the game when my adrenaline wore off and I layed down I felt a sharp pain in my back and I felt paralyzed. My mom rushed me to the doctor and they X-rayed my back. I had fractured my lower back and I wouldn't be able to play football. The doctor gave me a back brace to sleep in and I had physical therapy for 9 months. This was the worst news of my life. I felt I had let my team down, telling my coaches the news was even worse. They barely said anything and made me feel worthless. Our next game we played Collinsville and every kickoff they started at the 40 yard line because our back up kicker was not able to kick the ball far. We lost that game and the coaches were very aggravated. I sat out the rest of the year and watched from the sidelines.

I went through months of physical therapy and going to the gym to gain mass and size but also to strengthen my core for my lower back. Over the summer, I put on almost double my weight, weighting in at 170lbs right before my junior year. I practiced every day at the fields kicking and punting, working on my power and consistency. Junior year was a breakout year for me, kicking many field goals, extra points, and recovering many onsides to keep us in close games. Also, I started kicking touchbacks to give our defense more of an advantage.

After my junior year a college in OKC invited me to a kicking camp. I attended the camp and outshined all my competitors, kicking the ball with more power and more accuracy. I was asked to attend the National Scholarship Camp in Gatlinburg, Tennenese. This is a National Camp hosted every year to top ranked prospects of the nation for kicking. I was very excited to be given this opportunity. At this camp, I was ranked a 4 star kicker from Oklahoma! Rolling into my senior year, I'm ready to show off my hard work, dedication and determination to push through all the struggle.

Things may not always go as planned, sometimes there are ups and downs in life and as humans we should fight diversity head on. Football is a very tough and physical sport causing athletes to get hurt all the time. Throughout my journey, I've learned to persevere through it all!

Awards & Honors

• 2024 Special Teams Player of the Year

Academics

• GPA: 3.8