Big Red Diaries: Alex Henery
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By the Lincoln Journal Star
Alex Henery is a walk-on redshirt freshman from Omaha who’s battling true freshman Adi Kunalic for starting PAT and field-goal kicking duties. It’s a competition that figures to last through the end of this week.
Henery converted five PATs and made a 36-yard field goal in the Spring Game. Judging by recent comments from coaches and by Henery’s performance in Sunday’s practice, it’s hard to imagine why he didn’t get any opportunities last season.
In any case, Henery and Kunalic both appear to have stronger legs than Jordan Congdon, who left after his sophomore season.
The Journal Star’s Brian Rosenthal visited Tuesday with Henery.
Fall camp has been really good. I’ve competed a lot, competing with Adi. It’s been fun.
We all have a good time within the kickers, he and Jake Wesch, Dan (Titchener). They keep us going, because a lot of times we don’t have meetings and stuff, so we’ll just have lot of free time we have to occupy.
After Jordan left, I was kind of the only (kicker). Well, Jake was here. I competed with him in the spring. But nobody really knew who I was. Coming in, I was supposed to punt. That’s why I was supposed to come here. Then I started kicking during the fall. Nobody really knew me.
I played soccer. I was a forward at (Omaha) Burke.
This fall, my longest (field goal) was 57 (yards). That was after Adi made his 57-yarder — the day after. He has a strong leg, but maybe I’m a little more consistent.
It was a difficult atmosphere to kick (at the Cotton Bowl) because the ground was soft and it was really windy. I think they would’ve put Jordan in there before me if they were going to kick it. That’s not really up to me.
I would’ve liked to (kick last season), but with Jordan coming off his freshman year and a freshman All-American, they kind of trusted him. We really didn’t have a competing situation like we did this fall camp. I was his backup, but that was about it.
I wish I could win (the job) right away, but I guess just keep going and do what I can to win that spot.
Adi probably keeps me more focused. It’s a competition. One kick you can’t just lay off. It just kind of pushes me to push the best I can every kick.
I hope I’m not quirky and weird like everyone thinks of a kicker. I think I’m a little bit more normal. (Adi) is a lot like me. We both joke around. We’re both normal and everything.
I’m third (as a punter). I’m sure if they needed someone at punter I would step in and fight for that job. But with Dan there, it’s kind of …
I tried a lot of long ones (in high school), but kicking at Burke the grass is either that long or else there’s no grass. It’s kind of difficult. We never really had, like, any game winners or anything. We’d either be killing a team, or we’d be losing.
I was the onside guy last year, but they never used me. I’ll be doing those this year, too.
There’s been a few days (in fall camp) where I made all of them a few times. We have kicking competition. It’s more like goals within myself.
I think spring I was like 80 percent (inside 40 yards). Then I’m not sure what this fall is. I think it’s pretty good, 75 or 80 (percent).
It’s a lot different, a soccer kick and playing football. The strokes are a lot different. With soccer, you’re kind of cupping the ball, spinning it inside, outside and stuff. In football, it’s more like finding that exact point on the ball. There’s a spot on the ball that if you hit, it will go a lot further.
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