Q&A With Downers Grove South Kicker Tyler Bachara Class of 2019
So in a way to better understand the use of Deep Dish Football for Illinois recruits and the whole entire IHSA Football scene. Decided to do player profiles of players who you might not know or you might know , but you should respect them for their roles on their respective teams
Tyler Bachara Kicker Downers South Class of 2019 5'8 150
COACH BIG PETE'S TAKE
Tyler is one of the better kickers in the state of Illinois for the Class of 2019. High Character Player
Tyler Bachara what schools have you been talking to?
I have gone back and forth with couple of coaches from Southwest Minnesota State, that’s it at the moment, but it’s still really early in the process for my position.
What is one thing people dont understand about kicking?
One thing that people don’t understand is the hours of hard work that kickers put in during the offseason to be ready for just a few kicks during the season. Many of higher tier kickers not only practice multiple days a week, but also go to tons of camps, and seek private instruction as well. Most kids don’t really take what we do seriously, but we often are the difference makers in games.
Describe the mental side of kicking, What happens when you miss?
I am a big believer that kicking is more of a test of your mental strength than your actual physical ability. When you miss, not only are you upset that you made yourself look bad, but you also feel like you let the team down. Being a kicker is hard because all the focus is on you, and when the whole school sees you miss, it can be really hard the next Monday. I’ve seen kickers really get in their own heads that they aren’t as good as they actually are because of one missed kick. That’s why when I train with my instructor, Chris Nendick, we go through high pressure situations, as well as not letting your last kick effect your next one. My hard work paid off this year though, going a perfect on field goals meant I didn’t have to worry about getting down on myself.
Favorite moment from last season at DGS?
My favorite moment from DGS last year would have to be our win in Week 7 against Leyden. We recorded our 3rd straight shutout and won the game 20-0. It was my first game as the starting kicker and I had never been more nervous. It was pouring the whole game, and since their field is on grass, it was pretty hard to kick on. I ended up making 2 field goals on the day and put 4 kickoffs into the endzone for touchbacks. I’ll never forget nailing the 48 yarder, I had all my adrenaline pumping and I banged it through with 8 yards to spare. The whole crowd went crazy on both sides. It was awesome seeing my name on Twitter and the Daily Herald too, it was a first for me. People I’d never met before we even congratulating me at the store and at church.
What part of your game do you feel you need to improve?
I feel like I need to work on the consistency of my mechanics. I need to make sure my form is perfect every chance I get to kick. This will help improve my kicking power and accuracy because in kicking every inch counts. Everything from my plant foot, to where my foot hits the ball should be the same every time in order for me to be as great of a kicker as I can possibly be.
Do you have a kicker that you look up to NFL,NCAA ETC ?
Yea, and although it may seem like I’m hopping on a bandwagon, It’d have to be Super Bowl Champ Jake Elliot from the Eagles. He went to LT and didn’t even start kicking until his junior year in high school. I remember seeing him warm up kicking off when I was just a little kid watching my first ever DGS game. It’s surreal seeing how far he’s come. I’m working as hard as I possibly can to one day have the shot at accomplishing everything he did in college, let alone the pros.
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