Due to injuries and suspensions, the University of Florida is left without a kicker for the immediate time being. As you all know, the football program held open tryouts for students. Alex Greenberg, a student at UF who goes by the name Herby, saw an opportunity and gave every inch of his fully loaded, 5'5, 140 pound frame into the tryouts.
Herby attended Council Rock North high school, where he place kicked on the varsity football team for two years. He had an extremely successful career, missing 0 extra points and nearly going 100% when attempting normal field goals. His personal long is 38 yards, but Herby claims he has hit a 50+ yarder in practice. The highlight of his career, however, was hitting a game winner against his rival high school, Council Rock South. I was fortunate enough to catch up with Herby due to his extremely busy schedule. When I asked him about kicking, this is what he said, "It started in pee wee football. I was always too small to play a real position, so I decided to give kicking a try. I was really a natural; kicking came easy to me. I set records at my high school. I kicked kicks no kicker has ever kicked before."
Here is a general basis on how the tryouts were conducted, included with Herby's stats. Over 200 students signed up to tryouts. The first task was daunting, but it didn't phase Herby. The first thing the contestants had to do was kick a 60 yard kickoff. Herby smashed his kick well over 60 yards. The contestants who did not make the kick were asked to leave immediately, and the kickers who were able to conquer the task went outside to kick some field goals. Every contestant who made it this far now had to kick 3 field goals. Herby of course nailed all 3 no problem whatsoever. He made the next cut, where the remaining contestants had to then kick 3 more longer and tougher field goals. Herby had a hiccup, making only 2 out the last 3 kicks; however, Herby clearly ranked amongst the elite kickers at the tree-outs. The coaching staff was impressed with Herby, and said they would contact him if they wanted him to come back.
They never called.
Herby found out through the grapevine that the team selected a Gainesville High School alum by the name of Dallas Stubbs. Compared to Herby, Dallas had a much better kicking career up to this point by far; he already walked on to UF in 2013 but was cut to make room for transfers. At GHS, Dallas went 42/50 and won his districts kicker of the year award. He also hit a 52 yarder deep in the playoffs in high school. He was also an All-American.
Although this Dallas kid is 1000 times better than Herby, McElwain and the coaching staff chose the wrong All-American.
Herby might not be an All-American kicker, but he has an All-American attitude, and that's what really counts.
