All Hail The Foot
The Family Field Goal record stood for 42 years.
When I was 17, I kicked a 48-yard field goal in an intramural game in school.
We always go and kick the ball around during holiday break, and Eli 19.4 has come close for the last few years.
Still, though, the record held. Of course I let him know about it, too.
Then this happened:
That's from 45 yards (I recorded it in slo-mo, for some reason). And yes, it's higher than the uprights when it goes through.
Then he made one from 50.
Then he made one from 55.
Then he kicked one from 60 that would have been good from 59.
The ball was just exploding off his foot today. It was incredible.
Yes, he used a kicking tee, and yes, there was a strong tailwind today. No matter. 59 is 59 no matter the conditions.
Two guys in the 20s who still looked like football players were watching while he was bombing these kicks through. One of them said, "What college do you kick for?"
That's a running joke between Eli and I. No matter the sport, no matter what we're doing, he gets asked that. And it gets funnier each time it happens.
I was struggling to make a 25-yarder. I mean, I'm the same as I was 40 years ago except I have 1/4 the leg strength and 1/10 the hip rotation. Other than that, I'm still 100%.
"I'll give you $50 if you make one from 40," Eli said.
That's a thing between us. I can go from zero to hero when there's money on the table.
I didn't make it, but in an entirely shocking moment, I did get it there. It was to the right of the upright by about a foot, and Eli's face looked more shocked than mine did when he made one from 55.
"I don't know what I would have done if you'd made that," he said.
"Neither do I," I said.
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