The life of a kicker has many highs and lows. A kicker must have thick skin to survive, and the Woodford County High School football team’s special teams unit features a trio of brothers who live the special team’s life daily. Sawyer, Logan, and Cooper Ford have been working on field goals, punting, and snapping since middle school, and all three love the skillset and hard work that goes into preparing for the clutch moments that come during the entirety of a football game.
Coming into his senior season this fall, Sawyer said his most significant moment on the field to date was his game-winning kick against Franklin County last season at Community Stadium. The kick kept Woodford’s undefeated season alive and gave Ford a moment to be the hero. His leg routinely flipped the field with many long punts during the season, and Woodford also capitalized on his onside kicking skills.
“For me, the biggest draw to being a kicker is the zero to hero moments that can arise in big situations,” said Sawyer. “The situation comes down to executing your specialty, and the feeling is amazing when you execute. When you don’t, it’s tough, but you have to have a short memory and get back to work. I’m pretty good at blocking out the noise around me, and that helps on the field.”
Cooper and Logan are twin sophomores on the varsity squad. Cooper, a long-snapper on special teams, says he loves his role on the team and continues to work hard each day. Logan, a kicker, and punter like Sawyer, said he embraces the work on his skills and continues to learn from his older brother.
“I like long snapping because it’s something that many people aren’t familiar with, and I work really hard at it,” said Cooper. “I enjoy the skill and embrace the fact that it’s a way to get on the field.
Cooper said he doesn’t overthink the situation when he is called upon to snap to the punter and credits his time practicing for the sense of calm that he experiences on the field in big situations.
“I try not to overthink,” said Cooper. “I just go out there and rely on the reps at practice to my brothers as they prepare to kick. I put myself in that practice frame of mind and try not to stress at all,”
Sawyer and Logan said they look forward to competing on the field at practice and greatly respect the position.
“I’ve mentored him some, and we both attend the same camps,” said Sawyer. “We push each other daily and try to get the best out of each other, so we both improve. I learned from our previous kicker Joey Whitehead also. I’ve talked to him about being mentally prepared when kicking, and he helped me, so I am passing it on to my brother as well.”
Sawyer has been making the rounds on college visits as he decides where kicking will take him next but collectively, the Fords look forward to camps where they sharpen their skills with collegiate coaches.
“Some camps are for special teams only, and others are for every position,” said Sawyer. “We just try to go out there and show our best numbers in front of the college coaches and try to make a good impression while learning some new things as well.”
Like most teenagers who play sports, the boys look up to guys in the NFL like Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson and long-snapper Clark Harris.
“We just like to watch guys perform in clutch situations, and since we are Bengals fans, it’s even better when they do it for the team we cheer for,” said Logan Ford.
The Fords also added that they hope to see more kids getting into special teams, and that they can help if called upon one day.
“I think for any kid looking to be a kicker or punter, the most important thing is to have good form and practice it over and over to build up good muscle memory,” said Logan. “If you can achieve that, then you are off to a great start.”