Kickers may not get much glory or attention -- I feel they get more blame for misses than they get credit for successes -- but that doesn't mean we should overlook them. There are few positions in football that have such a direct impact on a team's scoring, and even if modern analysis shows that kickers' performances are unreliable and prone to wild fluctuations, it's worthwhile to celebrate when a kicker goes on an impressive run.
↵And Seminoles kicker Dustin Hopkins is in the midst of not just one streak, but two. With his four PATs in Saturday's game against Duke, he set a school record for consecutive successful PATs (109). He also hit two field goals on Saturday, his 16th and 17th successful attempts in a row, making him currently one shy of the FSU record (18 straight).
↵In honor of these successes, the ACC named Hopkins its Specialist of the Week. Despite all the accolades, though, Hopkins seems to be keeping a great perspective on matters:
↵↵↵"It's such a blessing and a gift from God that I've been given the opportunity to kick that many because the offense has put me in that position," Hopkins said. (Orlando Sentinel)
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Well said. His streaks are amazing, but they wouldn't have been possible without FSU's offense being so strong. That's not to take anything away from his accomplishments, but it's simply always something to keep in mind when talking about kicking records. Context is important.
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