Paglia gets his kicks with Bucs

Perhaps no position in football drives fans and coaches crazy more than that of place-kickers.

It takes a special mindset, not to mention a special set of skills, to be an effective kicker. It is the one position where a player can go from goat to hero in a matter of minutes.

Kickers are sort of like umpires. You never notice them until they mess up. They are often portrayed as a bit on the wacky side. They are the guys who spend all of their time on their own little "kicking" field, practicing with their own little small group.

Charleston Southern junior kicker John Paglia does not fit the typical mold of a place-kicker. The reason might be that Paglia never played the position until his senior year of high school.

Paglia grew up playing baseball and soccer. He never touched a football until high school, and even then, was a wide receiver. In his junior year at Trinity Catholic in Ocala, Fla., Paglia was a starting receiver on a state championship team.

It wasn't until the summer before his senior season that Paglia took up kicking a football at the urging of coach Kerwin Bell, a former star quarterback at the University of Florida.

"We had a really good kicker in my junior year and I was having a great time as a receiver," said the solidly built 6-2, 190-pounder. "I had soccer experience, so they asked me to start working out as a kicker. The summer before my senior year I started working out with Dan Lundy, who kicked at Miami. I guess I was pretty good at it, so I stuck with it."

Charleston Southern lucked out and was able to sign the left-footed Paglia. But, the Buccaneers already had an established kicker, Nick Ellis, who holds the school record for career field goals with 28.

Paglia waited behind Ellis before taking over full-time last season. He earned second-team All-Big South honors by converting 10 of 14 field goal attempts, including a school record-tying 48-yarder against Wofford.

This season, Paglia is clearly a major weapon for head coach Jay Mills. He has made 5 of 6 kicks this season, including a 47-yarder in last week's win over Savannah State. He already is more than halfway to Ellis' record and has a year and half to play.

He is 4 of 6 from 40-49 yards in his career and is looking forward to making a 50-yarder at some point this season.

"I'm actually comfortable from 60 on in," said Paglia. "I'd like to get an opportunity for some long ones and I know I will at some point. I feel like coach Mills has a lot of trust in me, but it has to be the right situation."

Paglia admits to missing being a part of the everyday offensive game planning. He considers himself an athlete first and a kicker second.

"I try to stay very competitive in the weight room, and I like being recognized as an athlete who happens to be a kicker," said Paglia. "I like to mix it up whenever I can. The football player in me always wants to compete. I don't shy away from contact. I guess I just don't have the typical kicker mentality, and I think that helps me compete on the field."

For Paglia, contributing to victories however he can is the primary goal.

"I love winning and I love doing what I can to help this team win," he said. "During the game, if I'm not getting loose, I'm watching every play and cheering those guys on. I want them to know I'll be there for them when they need me."