They usually aren’t the biggest guys on the field, and as the quarterback is carried away after the win, they’re usually the ones getting trampled in the background by stampeding fans.
But when the team is down by 1 with three seconds left in the most important game of the season, all eyes suddenly fall on the kicker.
“I’m just trying to keep the mindset that I’m out there to kick a ball. I’m not out there to do anything else,” said LSU starting placekicker Colby Delahoussaye. “I want to make my coaches happy and make myself happy just by doing the things I know how to do. I’m on the field, and it’s just like practice — except a lot of fans are watching.”
Delahoussaye will be the latest in a line of successful kickers for LSU including the Tigers’ all-time leading scorer Colt David, Josh Jasper and Drew Alleman — all of whom had 100-point seasons during their time at LSU.
Delahoussaye said it’s an honor to be included in the group of names LSU has had over the years. He said he knows he has big shoes to fill after Alleman’s departure last season.
The freshman from New Iberia was named the starter over junior James Hairston — who will be limited to kickoff duties and long field goal attempts — while fellow freshman Trent Domingue is considered the backup placekicker and punter for the team.
Delahoussaye’s young leg is as green as they come, having never kicked in a college game before, but he’s confident in his abilities heading into the new year.
“I’ve hit 60 [yards] and under, but we’re not going to kick that in a game,” Delahoussaye said. “Fifty-five [yards] and under I feel confident, but 50 and under, that’s where I know I can make that 100 out of 100 if I keep working at it. That’s not realistic to make [100 percent], but just keep working at it and consistency is what I want.”
In the punting game, Tiger fans may not recognize sophomore punter Jamie Keehn’s face, but they will recognize his accent — he’s the second consecutive LSU punter to hail from Australia, following in the footsteps of All-American Brad Wing.
“I got to work under Brad last year and get a little experience, but I’ve got a little experience myself along the way,” Keehn said. “I’m looking forward to the season. We’ve got a really good group of specialists together, and we’ve got a really good team together.”
Keehn has only played in two games of organized football with his first snap coming in the 2012 season opener against North Texas and then against Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl after Wing was suspended.
The Aussie averaged 43.7 yards per punt on 12 kicks last season with five of his nine punts against Clemson traveling at least 50 yards, including a season-long of 58 yards.
“Any guy in college football can blast the football, let’s be honest, but it’s all about getting hang time,” Keehn said. “I try to match whatever hang time I want to the distance and where we are on the field. It can range from a 30-yard punt to whatever I need to do.”