The past can’t be changed, but responding to adversity can be key to changing your future.
Those are the words that replay in LSU sophomore kicker Colby Delahoussaye’s head every time he’s faced with overcoming the pain of missing a kick — and it’s a problem he doesn’t face often.
The second-year kicker out of New Iberia, Louisiana, is 18-for-19 in his career on field goal attempts, with his only miss coming in 2013 on a 31-yard field goal against Furman.
Delahoussaye is almost automatic with his right foot, but a crucial error Saturday against Southeastern Conference rival Florida nearly cost the Tigers a closely contested matchup.
After freshman running back Leonard Fournette pounded into the end zone from 2 yards out to put the Tigers up by three late in the third quarter, it was left to Delahoussaye to make a crucial extra point to give the Tigers a four point lead.
The kick sailed wide right and kept Florida within a field goal at 20-17.
“I misstepped on it,” Delahoussaye said. “My foot was too close to the ball and I pushed it to the right.”
Delahoussaye said the missed extra point was from a lack of execution of the simple things. He tries to kick each ball the same, whether it’s an extra point or a 50-yard field goal, because his goal is to hit a straight ball no matter the circumstance.
“Just simple mechanics, not paying attention to stuff that’s going to make you miss an extra point,” Delahoussaye said.
The missed PAT put the Tigers in an unwanted situation, but while on the sideline, Delahoussaye took to heart the words of former coaches and teammates to help him take his mind off what had just transpired.
“I’ve had such great coaches and great people in my life that have taught me not just in football, but in life, you can’t change the past you can only fix the way you deal with those opportunities,” Delahoussaye said. “In my head after I kicked that extra point and missed it, at first I was upset. I told myself ‘All right, one snap and clear. Worry about the next kick. I can’t do anything about the kick I missed.’ My teammates are so great and they came up to me and said don’t worry about it, worry about the next one.”
And that’s exactly what the former walk-on did, but not without more obstacles to hurdle.
After an interception by LSU sophomore safety Rickey Jefferson that put the Tigers at the Gators’ 36-yard line with 24 seconds remaining in a 27-27 game, the game was set up for Delahoussaye to win.
After the interception, LSU coach Les Miles went up to Delahoussaye and asked him which side of the field he’d prefer to kick from so the offense could set up their game plan.
“During the injury timeout, where we certainly wish the opponent well, but during that time, [Delahoussaye] said, we want to kick this one anywhere but from the right hash, Coach,” Miles said. “And I said I’m right with you.”
Delahoussaye said he didn’t want to kick from the right hash because there’s less room for error if the ball hooks as a right-footed kicker, but his request didn’t go as planned.
LSU senior running back Terrence Magee took a rush for 3 yards to the right side of the field, forcing Delahoussaye to ice the game where he least preferred it — from the right.
“So, I said to Delahoussaye, I said, ‘You good with this?’ He said, ‘I’m good with this,’” Miles said.
Delahoussaye didn’t let the obstacle get to him, laughing off the situation in preparation for lining up the kick.
“I laughed at it. There’s nothing you can do,” Delahoussaye said. “It’s a game, you got to have fun with it. I came here to have fun, kick for LSU and live the dream. So why not have fun with it? Whatever situation I’m put in, make the best of it.”
Delahoussaye lined up for the 50-yard field goal and nailed it, giving the Tigers a much needed victory on the road.
The extra point could have been brutal in an already bumpy Tigers season ,but Delahoussaye, along with the rest of the Tigers, put the past behind him, giving the Tigers their first SEC win of the year.
“[The key is] just taking it one kick at a time,” Delahoussaye said. “Just think of it as I’m starting of 0 for 0 every single kick. After every kick, the next kick is most important. I can’t worry about the kicks that are behind me and I just want to try and get better from there.”