Florida's Great HS Kickers Love FSU

[OldSchoolLion]

Kickers don't get much love, so here goes.  The following five guys all played for FSU.

Bill Capece-Played hs football at Chaminade, where he was also the team's leading rusher.  In his senior year at FSU in 1980, Capece earned NCAA All-American honors.  He lead the team in scoring with 104 points, making him the first college kicker to top the 100-point mark.  He set school records for most field goals in a game (5) and most points in a game (18). Capece and FSU punter Rohn Stark, both All-Americans in 1980, are considered by many to be the best kicking tandem ever at FSU.  Capece later played three years in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Bucs. 

Mike Rendina-Was an All-American at Pompano Beach High.  Kicked for FSU in 1981 and 1982 and then transferred to Purdue.  Eventually signed with the Dolphins, but never made it big in the NFL.  

Sebastian Janikowski-Was a soccer star and All-American kicker at Daytona Beach Seabreeze.  Janikowski grew up in Poland, moving to the U.S. just before the 10th grade. He played three seasons for the Seminoles and is considered by many to be among the best in the history of the game. He won the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation's top placekicker, as both a sophomore (1998) and junior (1999).  He was a two-time consensus All-American and left as the ACC's all-time scoring leader and co-holder of the FSU record for field goals in a game(5). The Los Angeles Raiders made a rare move of selecting a kicker in the first round of the NFL draft when they picked Janikowski in 1999. He has had a long career in the NFL, including 18 years with the Raiders.

Graham Gano-Was a track star and All-American kicker at Tate High in the Panhandle.   Like Bill Capece, only kicked for FSU during his senior year, in 2008.  That year, Gano earned All-American honors and won the Lou Groza Award.  He made 24/26 field goals, including 5 of 50 or more yards.  He has played for 9 years in the NFL (Washington and Carolina).

Roberto Aguayo-Played hs football at South Lake High.  In 2013, he won the Lou Groza Award, and was a 3-time All-American.  In his three years with FSU, he successfully connected on 69/78 field goal attempts and on all 198 of his extra point attempts.  He played 1 season for the Tampa Bay Bucs, but has struggled getting traction in the NFL.

 

...other hs All-American kickers from Florida

1983 Greg Cox-St Thomas Aquinas and Miami Hurricanes (4-year starter; kicked two field goals in the 1988 Orange Bowl to help the Canes win the national title against Oklahoma) 

1994 Robby Stevenson-Manatee and University of Florida 

1996 TJ Tucker-River Ridge High-pursued baseball career

2009 Cody Parker/Jupiter High, Auburn and several teams in the NFL

Interesting fact: Both Robby Stevenson and Bill Capece are deputy sheriffs in Florida now.

[BrowardHandicapper]

3 minutes ago, OldSchoolLion said:

Kickers don't get much love, so here goes.  The following five guys all played for FSU.

Bill Capece-Played hs football at Chaminade, where he was also the team's leading rusher.  In his senior year at FSU in 1980, Capece earned NCAA All-American honors.  He lead the team in scoring with 104 points, making him the first college kicker to top the 100-point mark.  He set school records for most field goals in a game (5) and most points in a game (18). Capece and FSU punter Rohn Stark, both All-Americans in 1980, are considered by many to be the best kicking tandem ever at FSU.  Capece later played three years in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Bucs. 

Mike Rendina-Was an All-American at Pompano Beach High.  Kicked for FSU in 1981 and 1982 and then transferred to Purdue.  Eventually signed with the Dolphins, but never made it big in the NFL.  

Sebastian Janikowski-Was a soccer star and All-American kicker at Daytona Beach Seabreeze.  Janikowski grew up in Poland, moving to the U.S. just before the 10th grade. He played three seasons for the Seminoles and is considered by many to be among the best in the history of the game. He won the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation's top placekicker, as both a sophomore (1998) and junior (1999).  He was a two-time consensus All-American and left as the ACC's all-time scoring leader and co-holder of the FSU record for field goals in a game(5). The Los Angeles Raiders made a rare move of selecting a kicker in the first round of the NFL draft when they picked Janikowski in 1999. He has had a long career in the NFL, including 18 years with the Raiders.

Graham Gano-Was a track star and All-American kicker at Tate High in the Panhandle.   Like Bill Capece, only kicked for FSU during his senior year, in 2008.  That year, Gano earned All-American honors and won the Lou Groza Award.  He made 24/26 field goals, including 5 of 50 or more yards.  He has played for 9 years in the NFL (Washington and Carolina).

Roberto Aguayo-Played hs football at South Lake High.  In 2013, he won the Lou Groza Award, and was a 3-time All-American.  In his three years with FSU, he successfully connected on 69/78 field goal attempts and on all 198 of his extra point attempts.  He played 1 season for the Tampa Bay Bucs, but has struggled getting traction in the NFL.

 

...other hs All-American kickers from Florida

1983 Greg Cox-St Thomas Aquinas and Miami Hurricanes (4-year starter; kicked two field goals in the 1988 Orange Bowl to help the Canes win the national title against Oklahoma) 

1994 Robby Stevenson-Manatee and University of Florida 

1996 TJ Tucker-River Ridge High-pursued baseball career

2009 Cody Parker/Jupiter High, Auburn and several teams in the NFL

Interesting fact: Both Robby Stevenson and Bill Capece are deputy sheriffs in Florida now.

You forgot a very good one from Broward County who played for FSU. 

[OldSchoolLion]

1 minute ago, BrowardHandicapper said:

You forgot a very good one from Broward County. 

Then tell us about him

[BrowardHandicapper]

Just now, OldSchoolLion said:

Then tell us about him

No...I want you to figure it out.  Like you dangle the carrot for us with your trivia and we get stumped.  

How does it feel?

[BrowardHandicapper]

I'll give you a hint.  It is not a private school.

[OldSchoolLion]

5 minutes ago, BrowardHandicapper said:

No...I want you to figure it out.  Like you dangle the carrot for us with your trivia and we get stumped.  

How does it feel?

There was another fellow who played at STA but I already gave STA some love above.  Anyone is welcome to give props to anyone they wish, though.   

[BrowardHandicapper]

His primary position on the team was QB where he was pretty successful amassing over 3,000 passing yards over his Junior and Senior seasons.  He was also a All American Punter and Kicker.  

[OldSchoolLion]

11 minutes ago, BrowardHandicapper said:

I'll give you a hint.  It is not a private school.

Biasucci came between Capece and Cox.  Broward had a lot of good kickers over the years.

[BrowardHandicapper]

I believe the team he played for first made the playoffs in history his Senior year in which they won their first round game.

[Hwy17]

IMO, the best kicker ever produced by the state of Florida is Matt Prater.

[Alaric Balth]

Bill Capece was not the leading rusher for Chaminade High School. Capece was the second leading rusher. The leading rusher for that 1976 9-1 District Championship team was 6’1 190 halfback Joe Zumwalt. I was one of their offensive lineman.