BIOGRAPHY
One of America’s leading placekickers, Will Reichard was born on January 9, 2001, and grew up in Hoover, Alabama. He initiated his journey in football from a young age, and by grade six, he had taken an interest in kicking. This led him to attend Kohl’s Kicking Camps religiously and eventually became their top-ranked kicker and the second top-ranked punter.
Reichard’s talent in football earned him a reputation at his high school – Hoover High School in his hometown. Throughout his high school career, he made an outstanding 27 out of 29 field goal attempts and was flawless on extra points, making all 109 attempts. His impeccable skills earned him a place in the USA Today All-USA high school football team as a senior, and he got the opportunity to play in the Under Armour All-America Game. His performance at these premier games and his notable skills led him to be touted as the nation’s top kicker, as per ESPN. Consequently, he received scholarship offers from the likes of Auburn, LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama, Oregon, and Georgia. However, his heart was set on Alabama where he committed himself.
After committing to Alabama, Reichard immediately won the starting placekicker position in training camp. He got the opportunity to start his first professional game tackling every kicking position. In his first week, he put up an admirable performance against Duke, making 6 flawless extra point attempts, 2 punts for 81 yards, and forcing a touchback on every kickoff. However, injuries cut his season short halfway through, with his record standing at 4-for-7 on field goals and 21-for-22 on extra points.
Despite this setback, Reichard did not let it deter his spirit. As a sophomore in 2020, he played every game and made a perfect 98-for-98 on field goals and extra points; a feat only previously accomplished once in Alabama history. His dazzling performance and contribution on the field did not go unnoticed. He was named the special teams player of the week after games against Texas A&M, LSU, Mississippi State, Georgia, and Tennessee and was placed fifth in the country in the total points scored.
The awards did not stop here. Reichard became a first-team All-America selection by CBS Sports and a second-team pick by The Sporting News and he was also a finalist for the revered Lou Groza Award. The cherry on top was his team’s sterling performance that year, going undefeated at 13-0, and securing the title of national champions.
In his junior year of 2021, Reichard made 22 out of 28 field goal attempts and nearly all, bar one, of his 72 extra point attempts. This resulted in him being the overall SEC leader in points scored and ranking fifth nationally. For this performance, he was again named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week, following the game against Miami.
Reichard then made a gutsy move in 2022, as a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award. He finished second in the SEC and third in the nation with 130 total points scored. He converted 22 out of 26 field goal attempts and all 64 extra points, in addition to totaling 95 kickoffs for a total of 5,948 yards and 47 touchbacks, averaging 62.6 yards per kick.
Earning the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week title on two occasions in that season, he was then named second-team All-SEC by Associated Press and league coaches. He also received an honorable mention as an All-American by Pro Football Focus.
Despite initially deciding to enter the 2023 NFL draft, Reichard opted to return for a fifth and final season at Alabama, thanks to his eligibility being extended a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On October 14, 2023, during a game against Arkansas Razorbacks, Reichard set the record for the most points scored in Southeastern Conference history at 486, surpassing the former record holder, Auburn kicker Daniel Carlson. The following week, he scored nine points against Auburn in the Iron Bowl, tying him with Keenan Reynolds for the NCAA’s all-time scoring record of 530 points. He topped this record with a field goal in Alabama’s SEC Championship Game victory.
Showing a sterling career, no doubt, this young talent caught the eyes of the Minnesota Vikings, who selected him in the sixth round, 203rd overall, of the 2024 NFL draft. Reichard remains one of the most renowned American professional football placekickers of his time, with many awards and records to his name. His journey so far has been nothing less than inspirational, proving that hard work and devotion to the game always pay off.