Everything From Georgia Tech Kicker Aidan Birr After Thursday's Practice

Georgia Tech kicker Aidan Birr talked to the media for the first time this spring. Here is everything he had to say.

On what he is working on this offseason…

“I said it last year too. I put on five pounds or so. I probably put on another five. I'm like 210 now. I think just the big thing I'm working on this year is the longer kicks. Like I want to be, you know, I feel like I was pretty consistent this past season with, you know, everything inside of 50 yards. But, you know, just, you know, not necessarily thinking about the next level, but the new 40-yarder is the 50-yarder in the NFL. I mean, that's like every kicker, you know, you see Brandon Aubrey, he's making one every game, so just trying to get more consistent from there. That's could be a weapon for our team. So. Alex. Talk about adding more distance. You might as well get class here. How much further do you think you can go?”

On how much further he can get to making a 60 yarder…

“I think I can. I mean, two springs ago I hit that 62-yarder and I think I can hit some long ones in the games, especially with the adrenaline. But I mean, just, you know, the long kicks are all, it's kind of a skill. Like, you you can work on them all the time, but I think it comes from making them. Like you gotta make them in the games and then you feel more comfortable with them. And like Turbo or Coach Salem always says like, you know, it's like a long P-A-T. You know, it doesn't feel like it when you're out there for like a 55 yarder, but you know, you just gotta kick it the same as you kick every kick.”

On the why kickers are being able to hit from farther distances…

“I just think it's kickers and punters and know specialists just getting better as a whole. In the NFL they can now have like the new K ball and like all this stuff so I mean I think the camps that kids go to, it's all about hitting the long balls now. And that's just what people are, know, the 60 yard field goal is kind of entertaining. I think every kicker like dreams about making those long kicks. I mean, it's not that it's any different than the other field goals, but, you you just dream about making those. I think, just seeing the NFL like that is the new norm, making those long ones.”

On if he follows Harrison Butker and other kickers…

“Yeah, he's come a couple times in the summer and I've watched him kick. I don't think he came last summer, but I watch all those guys. You could take something from every kicker. I watch Butker, watch Brandon Aubrey, watch Jason Myers is one of my favorites because like… he's so smooth and there's no wasted motion. He's tall at impact and that's the form, that's the cream of the crop. I feel like every kicker should look at that guy because he's one of the best. I watch all the NFL guys because you could take something from all of em them. They all do stuff, they're at the highest level. So just watching all of them and seeing what I can incorporate into what I do.”

On the high pressure moments and how he approaches it..

“I think just relying on the process, not making it any bigger than it is. Like, obviously, like, you know the moment, but, you know, just trying to go out there and, you know, help the team win. I mean, they're all kind of relying on you. I think those moments, like, those are what kickers live for. I mean, I dream about those moments. I dreamed about, you know, hitting the 55-yarder versus Clemson. Like, that's something that like, when you go out there, you got to take advantage of it. I do get nervous when I'm going out there, but I think the nerves are a good thing. Like if you're not nervous when you're going out there, you probably don't really care about it, you know, and I care a lot about, you know, this team and helping us win.”

On touchbacks…

“I've talked about this with Coach Salem and Coach Farrell and John, just knowing when to hit it out the back and knowing when, like, hey, let's go make them return this ball. That's something that I also want to work on is like, I know I can hit a touchback, we can hit out you know, 10 deep or whatever, but just like, hey, if I want to place one inside the five with over four seconds of hang time and let's go smash them, like, let's do that. Cause I mean, that's, are big momentum plays like a kickoff. Like if you hang it up there and they're returning and you get a, you know, you tackle them inside of the 15 or inside of the 20. I mean, that's big plays. And I think that's, that's something that we've been working on right now, is just, Hey, like if, if we want to go pound it out the back, let's go do it. If we want to hang it up there, like be able to do that kind of you know, different clubs in your golf bag, you know.”

On if he thinks about the Lou Groza award…

“I mean, I think about it, but I think what I came into last season, I just thought about, you know… the team success. So if I go out there and make 90 % of my kicks inside of 40, we're going to have team success, we're going to win a lot of games, and I'll probably be up for that award, the Lou Groza Award. I think a couple of years ago, I was so worried about that award, the Lou Groza Award, and what other kickers are doing, and all this stuff. And that's when you kind of get in a bad spot. If you just worry about, hey, what can I do to help the team win? Then you're going to be up for those awards. I think individual success comes with team success."

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