By The Numbers: Nobody in SEC History is Better Than Will Reichard
Will Reichard has changed the narrative around Alabama kickers.
For much of Nick Saban's tenure, the kicker has done more bad than good. Remember Cade Foster? How about Andy Pappanastos? Or Joseph Bulovas? It seems like the Crimson Tide has had more kicking mishaps than any program.
Alabama isn't alone. College kickers are some of the most criticized individuals in all of sports. There are only 32 people in the entire world that kick in the NFL at any given time — and the margins are slim. If you miss an extra point or a key field goal in the NFL, you're likely getting cut the following day.
And it's all mental. You don't get a next play, or a next opportunity. If you mess up one time, in an important situation, you will never be forgiven.
Why would anyone choose to be a kicker? Well, with all of the bad, you could also end up a hero. Take Reichard for example — for five years, he has been revered by Alabama fans all over the country.
And for good reason.
"As I look back on my career, very excited about what we as a team have been able to accomplish," Reichard said in August. "I just felt like I had more room to improve before moving on to the next level. Honestly, I didn't want to leave this place. I have been super blessed to meet a lot of people here, building relationships I've been able to build. There are a lot of people across the country who would love to play here. It’s just something where I wanted to be able to come back and finish my career here."
Reichard has truly changed the game in Tuscaloosa. Crimson Tide fans used to hold their breath for every field goal attempt. Now, it's nearly an automatic three points.
That's not an overstatement. This season, Reichard is 15-for-15 on field goal attempts and 25-for-25 on extra points. Two weeks ago, he set the all-time SEC record for points with a total of 496 in his illustrious career.
He is just 34 points behind Navy's Keenan Reynolds for the most in NCAA history.
In December 2022, Reichard announced that he would leave Alabama and take his many talents to the NFL. A few weeks later, he reversed that decision, returning to the Crimson Tide for a fifth season.
"I'm really happy for him. He has been probably as good a player at his position, even though he’s a specialist, as anybody that we’ve ever had here. and he’s even a better person,” Saban said on Oct. 14. "I think this is one of the good things that [NIL] brings to players. A guy didn’t have to be poor and not be able to earn money and be able to come back and do that as a college player opposed to going to the draft, being a free agent possibly, not making the team, and then you’re out."
By the Numbers
- Reichard is a perfect 15-for-15 on field goals this season and 25-for-25 on extra points. He was also perfect during the 2020-21 national championship season, going 14-for-14 on FGs and 84-for-84 on XPs.
- In his 5-year career, Reichard is:
- 1-19 YDS: 0-for-0 (0%)
- 20-29 YDS: 18-for-18 (100%)
- 30-39 YDS: 28-for-31 (90.3%)
- 40-49 YDS: 24-for-31 (77.4%)
- 50+ YDS: 7-for-10 (70%)
- XPs: 265-for-267 (99.3%)
- Reichard is 31-for-37 (83.8 percent) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in his career. He is 31-for-34 (91.2 percent) on the road and 15-for-19 (78.9 percent) at neutral sites.
- Reichard, by month:
- August: 0-for-2 (0 percent)
- September: 28-for-30 (93.3 percent)
- October: 21-for-26 (80.8 percent)
- November: 13-for-15 (86.7 percent)
- December: 9-for-10 (90 percent)
- January: 6-for-7 (85.7 percent)
- Reichard has more points (46) against Mississippi State than anyone else. In four games from 2020-2023, he went 9-for-9 on field goals and 19-for-19 on extra points. Next up is Tennessee, which Reichard put up 43 points on during his career. 7-for-9 on FGs and 22-for-22 on XPs.
- By percentage, Reichard has actually been better in losses than wins. He’s 61-for-72 (84.7 percent) in wins and 16-for-18 (88.9 percent) in losses. Alabama doesn’t lose much.
If he keeps it up, Reichard will not only take the SEC points record with him to the NFL, but possibly a Lou Groza Award as well.
