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Walk-On Kickers background

AlferdJasper

Well-Known Member
I read a couple places that there are two walk-on kickers practicing with the team.

Here's what I could find out.
Names:
Ryan Aweida (Not Aneida) - pretty good soccer player
Justin Mihalcin - played DB and kicked in high school
My guess is that Kyle Ringo had a typo in Ryan's name (see excerpt below)

Buffzone kickers:
http://www.buffzone.com/blogs/buffzone-sports/2009/mar/31/kickers/

Ryan Aneida is a CU sophomore who never has played football. He attended Broomfield High School where he was a member of the soccer team. He was on the practice fields with the Buffs on Tuesday when they began spring ball and he's hoping to stick around.
The same can be said for CU freshman Justin Mihalcin, who was the place-kicker at Ralston Valley High School in 2007. Mihalcin is working at punter, place-kicker and kickoffs this spring
.

If this Ryan is the one practicing with the team, I'd love to know what prompted him to switch from University of Denver soccer (when he had pretty good stats) to CU Football as a walk-on?
Read for yourself, and see if it's the same guy.

Ryan Aweida
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/prep_boys_soccer/article/0,1299,DRMN_420_4297837,00.html
Junior Ryan Aweida, the 4A player of the year, scored 22 goals to lead Broomfield to the title.
(He's just a footnote in the story about another player.)

Here's a Ryan Aweida who played for DU...
http://www.denverpioneers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=18600&ATCLID=1177583

High School: Played soccer for Broomfield H.S. where he was named an NSCAA All-American as a junior and senior • All-Colorado team as a junior and senior • All-State selection as a sophomore, junior and senior • team won the Colorado state championship in 2006 • named MVP of his high school team as a sophomore, junior and senior.

Justin Mihalcin
http://www.maxpreps.com/colorado/football/ralston-valley-(arvada)/justin-mihalcin/stats.aspx?athleteid=c4e2db12-46b1-4551-bcb2-4e2bb03aea88&ssid=2d976fd6-2d12-41a3-ad74-8f39dfcdb95e&urpath=,local,player&group=3

Justin Mihalcin #9 - kicked three field goals in senior season (if the Maxpreps stats are correct, they are often incomplete as they depend on volunteers to turn in the numbers.)

2007-2008 Ralston Valley kicking stats for Mihalcin:
3 FGs: 30 yard FG; 35 yd fg; 47 yf fg
44 extra points in the season

That's all I got - anybody know more?

I wonder if Aweida played soccer for DU if that counts against a year of eligiblity, or does it matter if a different sport? So many NCAA rules out there...
 
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Go get 'em Justin! :lol:

He's been telling me all winter that he was walking on. His sis was a soccer start at CU. Just a great kid.
 
There hasn't been much mention of them doing anything specific in the practice coverage, but I would imagine they'll have more opportunity when the practice moves out of the bubble.

The bubble just doesn't do much for kicker practices, with the low ceiling for punts, not much room and only one set of goal posts, etc.

Hey, competition, I'm all for it.
 
If we're turning to a walk-on this year with four kickers on scholarship, I'm gonna be pretty pissed.
 
If we're turning to a walk-on this year with four kickers on scholarship, I'm gonna be pretty pissed.

But if we have some competent walk-ons keeping Goodman fired up during spring, I'm glad to hear it. With Davis still recovering, he might get some energy from having competition at the position this spring.
 
But if we have some competent walk-ons keeping Goodman fired up during spring, I'm glad to hear it. With Davis still recovering, he might get some energy from having competition at the position this spring.

I agree. Just saying the coaches might want to to re-assess what they're doing in the kicking game if we're turning to one of these walk-ons in the Fall. I doubt (maybe hope is a better word) we have to go that route, but I will not discount the possibility after last year.
 
I agree. Just saying the coaches might want to to re-assess what they're doing in the kicking game if we're turning to one of these walk-ons in the Fall. I doubt (maybe hope is a better word) we have to go that route, but I will not discount the possibility after last year.

If I had to bet, I'd imagine Zach Grossnickle will see the field during 2009, but if, but IF,
Goodman, Davis and DiLallo and/or the walk-ons are doing a great job, and we can have ZG redshirt, then he can take over for DiLallo as punter when Matt graduates.

So the walk-ons might be buying us a year of having the new guy bulk up and be ready to kick butt and kick pigskin, in 2010.

Just from where I sit, I always love to hear about guys who decide to go after their dreams instead of wondering if they could have, would have made it. Maybe we'll end up with a Disney movie, you never know.
 
I think I had heard when Aweida was a top HS soccer player (assuming this is the same guy) that his dad is Jesse Aweida, founder of StorageTek.... I don't know if there's any basis to that.
 
I think I had heard when Aweida was a top HS soccer player (assuming this is the same guy) that his dad is Jesse Aweida, founder of StorageTek.... I don't know if there's any basis to that.

... from the DU bio (asssuming this is the same guy - but Aweida IS an unusual last name), dad is named "Jim" - unless that's a nickname.

Personal: Born Jan. 3, 1989 in Boulder, Colo. • son of Jim and Marlene Aweida • brother of Jason and Jamie • enjoys golf, swimming, camping, traveling, coaching and snowboarding • taught English to children in Argentina • worked with TOPSoccer, coaching young athletes with disabilities • named NSCAA Academic All-American First Team in 2007 • chose DU because of the great business school, Division I soccer and location • plans to major in general business and Spanish.
Maybe it's NOT the same guy? He played in 2008 for DU. He would have had to leave school at the end of the semester, and enroll in CU in pretty short order.

But the DU player was from Broomfield HS as "our" walkon Ryan Aweida is, so ...
stranger things have happened, I guess.

Would love to know (if it's him), what prompted the switch from one school to another, and one sport to another he's never played before.

Curious. Wonder if there are a number of reasons, or if he switched for the opportunity to play football?

He was doing well for DU --- 2008: Earned All-MPSF Honorable Mention • named Academic All-MPSF • started all 19 games for DU • collected eight points on two goals and four assists.
 
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Found an obscure reference to NCAA inter-sport transfer rules, after a spirited debate at my house as to whether or not a player can switch schools and sports without missing a beat.

This is from a 2005 article, but says it's allowed if the player is released:

Each player found what he sought by finding a new school over the summer. Both look likely to start for their new schools this spring. Neither had to sit out a year because of the NCAA's transfer rules, which allow players in sports other than Division I-A football, men's basketball and men's ice hockey to trade one school for another without missing a season, as long as the coach at the former school grants the player a release.

It's from a baseball story, but thought I'd share the info in case anyone else wondered about the mysterious ncaa rules.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/recruiting/2006/2680.html
 
Football, Basketball and Hockey are classified as "revenue generating sports" and thus have transfer limitations. Players in baseball or soccer can transfer without penalty as long as they get a release from their old school.

I don't believe there is any limitation when transferring into another sport, whether it is revenue generating or not, as long as it's a different sport.
 
A kicker is probably the easiest postion for a walk-on to make an impact. my senior year of football in HS, our best kicker tuned out to be a sophmore who was an incredible soccer player and he overtook the incumbemt kicker pretty quickly. Also, a good buddy of mine, who went to our big HS rival was one of he best kickers in So cal that year and he was just a soccer player filling a void as well without much experience. A little different at college level, but a great kicker can be found in someone that was not a highly regarded kicker out of HS. May just take a little focus and coaching to get them to that level. If for no other reason the competition will be good.
 
I went to high school for a year with Aweida. Yes it is the same guy from DU who played soccer. He was named 2-time all american in high school and an amazing soccer player. So to answer all your questions, yes it is the same guy
 
I went to high school for a year with Aweida. Yes it is the same guy from DU who played soccer. He was named 2-time all american in high school and an amazing soccer player. So to answer all your questions, yes it is the same guy

So why would he switch? Sounds like he could have a decent college career and these days folks are actually making a living coaching youth soccer in some of the clubs.

Just curious.
 
I went to high school for a year with Aweida. Yes it is the same guy from DU who played soccer. He was named 2-time all american in high school and an amazing soccer player. So to answer all your questions, yes it is the same guy

Thanks for the confirmation. :thumbsup:
 
So why would he switch? Sounds like he could have a decent college career and these days folks are actually making a living coaching youth soccer in some of the clubs.

Just curious.

I'm not going to lie and say i know why he switched, as long as ive known him soccer's been his life. But he played so much maybe he was getting bored with it or i know a lot of friends from high school go to CU so maybe he just wanted to be closer? I have no idea but i was shocked when i heard.:huh:
 
I'm not going to lie and say i know why he switched, as long as ive known him soccer's been his life. But he played so much maybe he was getting bored with it or i know a lot of friends from high school go to CU so maybe he just wanted to be closer? I have no idea but i was shocked when i heard.:huh:

A lot of kickers start out in soccer and migrate over to the big game. What's surprising with Aweida is that he hasn't played any football yet, but is willing to transfer to a school that has no soccer team (no varsity anyway.)

I guess if he misses it, he can go play intermurals. :smile2:
I looked him up on the DU website, he was a real contributor starting as a freshman. Will be interesting to watch.

Of course, if you look at the timing, he may have transferred to CU just before he found out that Hawkins had brought on another kicker. During the season last year, it would have been easy to imagine walking on the team and beating the current guys. But now there are a lot of guys competing. This is a good thing for CU, but there will be some guys on the bench.

I'm hoping Aweida is strong enough to be Goodman's backup. It would be great to hold GNickle off the field until Matt D graduates.
 
Of all the positions I was most dissapointed in last year, this had to be near the top. I really don't care to see us fade away during close games we could have won or kept in doubt all because the kicker couldn't make PAT's & FG's. I say give the kid a chance. If we end up with goodman as the starter, so be it. But he will need to be pushed hard in practice to be any better than he was last year. OK, I'm done with my rant.
 
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Of all the positions I was most dissapointed in last year, this had to be near the top. I really don't care to see us fade away during close games we could have won or kept in doubt all because the kicker couldn't make PAT's & FG's. I say give the kid a chance. If we end up with goodman as the starter, so be it. But he will need to be pushed in hard practice to be any better than he was last year. OK, I'm done with my rant.

There's no doubt I'm a huge fan of Grossnickle, but I'm pushing for Goodman to do well, too. I'm all for giving the walk-ons a shot if they show they've got the skills in practice, sure, why not.

I think Hawkins did the right thing bringing in a combo guy to push everyone a little harder. Nobody can rest on past performances*, there are walkons and a freshman breathing down your neck.


*yeah, I realize that's a straight line, just waiting for a comeback.
 
Considering that Jameson Davis has had knee troubles and that Goodman had the yips, I don't think offering a scholarship to Grossnickle is a "$uckup."
 
Considering that Jameson Davis has had knee troubles and that Goodman had the yips, I don't think offering a scholarship to Grossnickle is a "$uckup."


Agreed. If we hadn't taken a kicker, I wonder if the same people would be whining that Hawkins should have done something. He gave Goodman a lot of chances, and he is apparently still behind Aric this year, saying all kinds of positive things about his performance this spring.

But he got a top combo kicker/punter on board so there would be some options in the fall. If the main purpose of bringing on a new kicker is to light a fire under Aric, then fine with me. This is the guy who can do that.

New Guy Bio. Not too shabby.

... he never missed a field goal under 40 yards in his career. His season long was 53 yards against Aurora Central (a Denver East school record, breaking the mark by a yard he had set as a junior) .
 
Found an obscure reference to NCAA inter-sport transfer rules, after a spirited debate at my house as to whether or not a player can switch schools and sports without missing a beat.

Boy, if I had a nickel for every time we indulged that debate in the Walrus household! Sometimes it seems that's all we ever talk about. At times it damn near gets to fisticuffs.
 
What's all this Goodman should start bs, you guys all secret husker fans, is AllBuffs the new fluoride in the water? If none of our 8 backup kickers can beat out the worst kicker of all time, I don't know.
 
What's all this Goodman should start bs, you guys all secret husker fans, is AllBuffs the new fluoride in the water? If none of our 8 backup kickers can beat out the worst kicker of all time, I don't know.

Dude...Brougham.
 
What's all this Goodman should start bs, you guys all secret husker fans, is AllBuffs the new fluoride in the water? If none of our 8 backup kickers can beat out the worst kicker of all time, I don't know.

Goodman's stats are pretty bad, but the problem is, he was "soclose" to making so many kicks, even bouncing them off the uprights, that it seems like he's one good night's sleep away from making all of them. He showed he had the strength and the technique to be good, but he was a tiny adjustment (mental or physical) away. And that adjustment is the difference in winning games.

We can't go through another year like that. We can't. But if Goodman performs, and has his stuff together, let him erase last year like Nixon's 18 minutes of tape. *

Last year, with Davis injured, there weren't any good options when Goodman's kicks were off. This year is different. I'm sure they'll give him a shot at the CSU game. For all we know, just having 3 backups behind him is the mental image that will force him to kick straight. If that's not the answer, we have 3 backups behind him, and Davis on his left shoulder, who will all be options next year.

*obscure old person reference.Carry on.
 
Considering that Jameson Davis has had knee troubles and that Goodman had the yips, I don't think offering a scholarship to Grossnickle is a "$uckup."
I didn't say giving Grossnickle a scholarship was a $uckup, but obviously some bad decisions have been made giving scholarships to kickers - most schools have 3. CU could certainly use one of those scholarships at other positions.
 
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