Perfection Is The Standard Indiana Kicker Nicolas Radicic Holds Himself To

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – When it came to place-kicking, there was only one blot on the record of Indiana kicker Nicolas Radicic in 2024.

His one miss comes with plenty of extenuating circumstances. He missed a 46-yard attempt on a snowy Memorial Stadium turf and in 28-degree weather. He lost his footing and pulled his attempt left.

That’s a long field goal attempt in inclement weather. Given that Radicic made all 10 of his other field goal attempts and that he was automatic on extra-point kicks – 69 of 69 in 2024 – the reaction to the miss would be one of forgiveness.

That’s not how Radicic sees it. He expects to make every kick, no matter how challenging. Holding himself to that standard goes to the heart of why he thinks he’s so reliable.

“Every kick that I’m out there, it’s got to go through. The coaches feel the same way. The players feel the same way,” Radicic said.

“Mitch (McCarthy, Indiana punter and holder) and Mark (Langston, Indiana long snapper) feel the same way. I feel the same way about them. I want Mark to snap a perfect ball, and I want Mitch to hold it perfectly every time. If I expect that from them, I have to make every kick as well,” he added.

With that mentality, Radicic wasn’t going to slough off the miss against Purdue like most Indiana fans and observers would. It’s just an opportunity for him to work toward his goal of perfection.

“It's repetition. I’ve hit that field goal that I missed against Purdue hundreds of times before. It happens. You just do it over and over again until you figure something out,” Radicic said.

If you think the standard Radicic has set for himself is not attainable or a bit over the top, it somewhat comes from within the program.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti has not hesitated to be critical of specialists who had bad games. To wit, punter James Evans – who had an outstanding career at Indiana – had a poor game at Ohio State in November in a 38-15 Hoosiers loss.

Cignetti specifically pointed out Evans’ shortcomings in having a punt blocked and in kicking against the coverage Indiana had set up on a 78-yard punt return touchdown by Caleb Downs.

We don’t know what Cignetti’s attitude is toward missed place-kicks, because Radicic only missed that one against Purdue – a game Indiana won 66-0. So it was hardly a priority in post-game discussion with the media.

Radicic knows the standard.

“The guys (other players) don’t see me work too much at practice. We’re off to the side on the practice field. So, in their eyes, I might not be working as hard as they are, which is okay and I understand that. But since they don’t see me, I need to make every kick,” Radicic said.

Radicic said his approach to kicking is all about repetitions and confidence in himself. He puts a lot of stock in the mental part of kicking. He said he approaches every kick the same way, regardless of distance or game situation.

“I tell everyone that kicking is 70 percent mental. You can be the strongest guy on the field, the strongest leg, the biggest leg, but if you don’t have it in the six inches between your ears, you won’t be able to make kicks,” Radicic said.

The Indiana roster lists Coppell, Texas, as Radicic’s hometown. But he grew up in a home far more worldly than that.

Born in California, Radicic’s family moved to Croatia – where his parents are from – when he was 3. He returned to the United States when his father got a job in Texas.

“I was born in California, but my parents got homesick and when I was 3 we moved to Croatia. My dad’s job opportunity happened in Texas, and my parents knew that the opportunities are just better here than they are in Croatia so that was the reason (to move),” Radicic explained.

Radicic was just like anyone else would be coming from a country where American football isn’t played.

“I didn’t know much about football. If I knew something, it was baseball. I was a Giants fan from San Francisco. A little bit of basketball, but football? None,” Radicic said.

Moving to football-crazy Texas is a sure way to familiarize oneself with the sport, and Radicic quickly did. At Wiley High School in Coppell – a suburb in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex – Radicic rose to the No. 3 ranked kicker by 247Sports.com.

He was hooked on American football and worked hard to perfect his craft to turn it into his opportunity to play college football.

“It was awesome. I went to a high school with about 6,000 people. A huge stadium, a 15,000-person stadium. You show up. Full student section, and everyone is looking alive for 18-year-old kids playing Texas football. I fell in love with it right away, and I’m here now,” Radicic said.

Indiana is glad he did. Radicic’s quest for perfection was nearly achieved last year. Wearing a new number for the 2025 season – he will be No. 15 instead of No. 39 – is the only change the Hoosiers want from their reliable kicker.

Related stories on Indiana football