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The University of Mississippi Athletics
SPOTLIGHT: One Kick At A Time
9/21/2009 | Football
By Alex Cox
Athletics Media Relations
Besides the excitement and anticipation for the season's beginning, the Ole Miss Rebel football team feels pressured. The team has been practicing to live up to the nation's expectations, ranked fourth by the Associated Press and fifth in the USA Today Coaches' Poll. For Rebel kicker Joshua Shene, the SEC active career leader with 44 field goals, pressure is something he deals with one game at a time.
"I try not to worry about any other game but the one in front of us," Shene said. "I try to visualize it going through the uprights, but more than anything, I just take it one game and one kick at a time. Usually, that works really well."
Shene, who hit 17 of 21 field goals in the 2008 season, was named the No. 6 kicker in the nation by Lindy's and was also selected to the preseason All-American third team by NationalChamps.net. Additionally, he was named to the preseason All-SEC team by Athlon, Lindy's and the Birmingham News.
This is quite a turnaround for the senior, who went just 11 for 17 during the 2007 season.
"Sophomore year, I try not to even think about that," he said. "I think I did a lot better last year. As far as kicking goes, it's always 'I should have made this one, I should have made that one,' so, really, the four that I missed, I feel like I should have made. Hopefully I have another good season this year - whatever I can do to help my team out. If that means making all of them, then that's what I would love to do."
One of the main differences Shene cites for his improved record is the change in coaching methods, specifically Houston Nutt's emphasis on the kicking game. Shene said the kickers now practice twice as long as they had, and he said Nutt better understands the mentality of the kicking game.
"Kicking is really mental, so if we have a bad kick, he doesn't get on to us," Shene said. "He doesn't rip into us, he just says, 'Next kick. Don't worry about that one. Next kick.' That really helps everyone as far as their confidence goes, and I really think that's one thing that helped me do better last year versus my sophomore year."
The Oklahoma City native earned AP All-SEC honors in 2008, leading the SEC with 81 percent in field goals and 100 percent in extra points. Shene's current streak of 85 consecutive extra points is the second longest in school history.
Last football season was full of memories for the Rebels, especially the Cotton Bowl victory over Texas Tech. Shene, however, sees another game as his biggest victory.
"Arkansas was pretty big because I had three field goals and two extra points, and we ended up winning the game by two," he said. "That was really big, especially because I almost went to Arkansas and Coach Nutt and a lot of the coaching staff came from Arkansas."
Shene explained that he feels a lot of pressure from his coaches when he is on the field, but he said he puts the most pressure on himself to succeed during the game.
"My teammates are real supportive, and if I miss one, they just say 'next kick.' Even my coaches are the same way," he said. "I put a lot of pressure on myself and I try to make every kick, so I would say that it all comes within me as far as pressure goes.
"Like I said, I like to take it one kick at a time. But if I can make every kick, which I know is really hard, I would love to do that. As long as I'm above 80 percent, I'll be happy."
