Diego Gonzalez Prepped To Battle For Kicking Jobs
BOULDERGÇöAt the conclusion of practice, Toby Neinas was carrying on in his usual manner.
On a normal afternoon such an occurrence isnGÇÖt uncommon. Since becoming the special teams coach at the University of Colorado last year, Neinas has always carried himself with the same intensified levels of enthusiasm that seem to be a customary character trait for coaches of his ilk. On this occasion however, all of the precedent he set throughout his now 19-year coaching career was shattered. For even Neinas had never been like this.
The conversation centered around a kicker named Diego Gonzalez. GÇ£This guy is a cannon!,GÇ¥ said Neinas. GÇ£HeGÇÖs like a power plant!GÇ¥ Now, it has long come to be accepted that Neinas has never been tightfisted when handing out compliments but, an almost blatantly flattering critique of a sophomore kicker who has yet to play a snap at Colorado might leave some scratching their heads. Those people are not yet familiar with Diego Gonzalez.
Gonzalez came to Colorado last summer on the strength of a reputation that now spans two countries. He hails from Monterrey, Mexico, and down there the locals saw him as a kicker whose otherworldly potential eventually became so transparent that he made for the perfect representative to bridge a gap between Monterrey and NCAA Division I college football that has rarely been crossed. Coaches donGÇÖt often venture into those waters for talent but it didnGÇÖt take long before word of GonzalezGÇÖs renowned kicking prowess had gotten their full attention.
Kicking gurus have called him among the most talented they had ever seen. Football camp directors have lauded his GÇÿ5-StarGÇÖ leg. And coaches and scouts have raved about his potential. Neinas was one of those in attendance on one of many nondescript days on the fields of Monterrey Tech and it didnGÇÖt take long before he relayed his amazement back to the desk of CU head coach Mike MacIntyre.
GÇ£He impressed us from the beginning,GÇ¥ said Neinas. GÇ£HeGÇÖs just got an awful lot of natural strength with what he does on the field and also in the weight room. HeGÇÖs extremely talented. Power is his biggest strength and we were very pleased with what we saw.GÇ¥
That was the summer of 2013. Gonzalez was just finishing up his one year at Tech, where he had handled the teamGÇÖs kickoff and punting duties. He frequently stymied opposing return efforts pinning them deep on punts then booming it long on kickoffs. By July, Neinas had seen enough and Gonzalez officially reciprocated that courtship by choosing to attend Colorado.
GÇ£IGÇÖm really happy with my decision,GÇ¥ said Gonzalez. GÇ£I had to really do my research because I couldnGÇÖt make official visits. (Neinas) and this staff made a great impression on me. They were really nice during the recruiting process and they showed that they care about their players not only on the field but off it too.GÇ¥
After last yearGÇÖs mandatory redshirt year (per NCAA transfer rules), one he spent avidly learning MacIntyreGÇÖs system and the intricacies of big-time college football, Gonzalez and his talents will become officially eligible to take center stage this fall. He came into the spring as the teamGÇÖs second-string kicker behind incumbent Will Oliver but, he has already made it clear that he will not be content with secondary status. He fully expects to battle Oliver for the top spot at both placekicker and kickoff specialist this fall.
GÇ£IGÇÖm ready to take over that role,GÇ¥ said Gonzalez. GÇ£IGÇÖve been ready for the whole year since I came here and now I finally get a chance to compete. IGÇÖve been looking forward to this. I know IGÇÖm good enough.GÇ¥
It was at the posing of this inevitability that all of the lively spirit that had consumed Neinas since the conclusion of practice finally flushed itself from view. The gravity of the issue at hand had finally morphed NeinasGÇÖ sunny disposition into one of grim realization. He has quite a quandary on his hands. As Gonzalez becomes officially eligible to compete this fall, Neinas will soon be forced to make a difficult decision. Will he entrust the teamGÇÖs kicking duties to the reliable Oliver, a player that manned both the kickoff and placekicking duties with such gusto last fall, or will he yearn for the opportunity to finally unleash his prized foreign asset onto an unsuspecting Pac-12 Conference?
Neinas knows that as talented as Gonzalez is, he may not yet be in OliverGÇÖs class as a placekicker. But for all of OliverGÇÖs deadly accuracy, he canGÇÖt offer the same kind of versatility and power as Gonzalez. When pressed, Neinas acknowleged that he will not subscribe himself to that old Wally Pipp school of reasoning.
GÇ£ItGÇÖs WillGÇÖs job to lose in my mind,GÇ¥ said Neinas. GÇ£But Diego has been kicking very, very well in camp. I would love for those two guys to just fight it out because theyGÇÖre both extremely talented. I think that both of them have a lot of power. Right now IGÇÖd love to see those guys battle. I really would. Making a decision like that is being a coach. I know that.GÇ¥
For all of OliverGÇÖs successes over the last three years, he has converted 71 percent of his field-goal attempts and 98 percent of his extra points during his career, he has struggled in effectively kicking the ball off. Last year, ColoradoGÇÖs kick return defense ranked dead last in the Pac-12, a burden that was often directly attributed to kickoffs that opponents regularly fielded well within the field of play. Many of those shorter kickoffs were returned for significant gains in 2013, giving opposing offenses shorter paths to the end zone.
GÇ£Kickoff wise, we started off as bad as you can start last season,GÇ¥ said Neinas. GÇ£We were really, really bad through weeks 1 and 2. I think Will suffered from fatigue at times last year because we might have asked him to do too much.GÇ¥
If Neinas finds making a final decision between the two kickers to be too much of a burden this fall, he may fall back on the possibility of having the two men split the kickoff and placekicking duties which would alleviate some of those fatigue-ridden fears as they season moves on.
GÇ£I actually think in a perfect world I would like to see us split the job,GÇ¥ said Neinas. GÇ£But the jobGÇÖs going to go to the best guy. DonGÇÖt be surprised if that happens. Last year, Will did such a great job of being fresh in week 14 which is hard to do at that position. If we can get both of them in the mix it would ease all of that and allow us to be a little bit fresher a little bit longer through the year. So, thereGÇÖs always that option.GÇ¥
GÇ£We have two great kickers,GÇ¥ said Neinas. GÇ£Some teams donGÇÖt even have one. And for that we should feel very fortunate.GÇ¥
And with that he walked away. His shoulders slumped over, weighted down by a dilemma that just grows heavier and heavier.