The Cardinal Countdown: 37 Days Until Kickoff

#37 Ryan Chalifoux

Class: RS Junior

Ht/Wt: 6-1/185

Position: Kicker

Hometown: Champaign, IL

Twitter: @RyanChalifoux_1

Thoughts: This time last year not many countdown readers knew about Mr. Chalifoux. Not uncommon that the backup kicker doesn’t exactly turn heads at the mall or anything, but I say it over and over again each summer. Everyone of these guys is one or two plays away from having the spotlight directly on them and they will “get known” real fast, either in a positive or negative light. With the injury to Creque last year Chalifoux was the next man up, and got off to a bit off a rough start missing a couple PATs and a FG in his first few games. Eventually he settled in and went 14-15 in PATs and 1-2 in FGs in the last three games. Known for his big leg I figured Chalifoux would excel in taking over kickoff duties but that fell to freshman James Turner who handled kickoffs the last five games of the season.

Chalifoux, as referenced above, became very well known nationally when he pulled off one of the better fake field goals in recent memory. With the Cards up 10 late against NC State Chalifoux, who had already missed one earlier that night lined up to try and extend the lead to 13, but Satterfield turned into Copperfield and hit ‘em with the trickeration.

While Jesse Palmer may have been a tad hyperbolic Chalifoux executed an unbelievable play by rolling out, drawing the rush, looking back across his body, making a nice tight throw, absorbing a hit from a crashing defender, and putting it right on Marshon Ford’s chest plate. Pretty impressive for a “backup” kicker.

If you read Day 43 or Day 40 then are fully aware that the kicker job is an open competition heading into the fall. The summer depth chart had Turner and Travelstead as the early leaders in the clubhouse but, stop me if you’ve heard this before, Chalifoux could once again be just one play away from being the man.

Sweet Tweet:

UofL Football account ran a bracket style tournament on twitter (too soon) to determine the play of the year for 2019 and #Chalithrow took home the crown. If the young man never plays another snap (which I hope isn’t true) he will still go down in the record books.