The NFL just finished its season with their big game that featured placekicker Stephen Gostkowski.
The Madison Central High School alum was 2-for-3 in field goals helping the Patriots to their sixth NFL title.
But before fourth-round pick Gostkowski found NFL fame, he was a walk-on at the University of Memphis back in 2002 when they were members of Conference USA and has since kicked his way into a probable NFL Hall of Fame jacket.
Not bad for a walk-on.
The path is blazed and one that now University of Southern Mississippi preferred walk-on punter/kicker Will Lang is familiar with.
The former Pearl River Community College kicker and Inverness native whose season ended with an overtime winning kick over MDCC is now competing for a Division I spot to kick for the Golden Eagles.
Lang enrolled and is working out with strength and conditioning coaches to continue his kicking career.
The Indianola Academy alum knows he’s got a tough but manageable road ahead.
“It really came out of nowhere,” Lang explained. “I was trying to decide where to go to school and was looking at Mississippi State. I got a phone call one morning from one of the (former) coaches at Southern Miss, and he told me they were really interested in me and wanted me to be a part of the program. The special teams coordinator started calling and texting and let me know they were offering a preferred walk-on but no scholarship but would put me on the team and let me work out. They’ll give me plenty of opportunity to prove myself here in the spring.”
Though Lang is looking at a Turf Management education and career for now he’ll be enrolled as an Exercise Science student.
“I’m just happy to have another opportunity,” Lang said.
Spring practice will begin in March and Lang’s march toward continuing his kicking career will be in full swing. The team is currently in strength and conditioning workouts each day in addition to classes.
“I kick with other specialists or on my own but I make sure I get my work in,” he said. “The competition is deep. The guys here are all good. They are all good guys and we all get along. It’s a friendly competition.”
With three on the roster and more coming this summer including Lang as preferred and regular walk-ons, he has his kicking work challenge cut out for him. He still has the possibility of being redshirted to extend his career as well. He’ll compete for both kicking and punting duties.
Lang has kicked his way through competition before and come out on top.
Now, he’s ready to tee it up and do it all again. But should placekicking not work out, there is a former Golden Eagle punter who blazed a nice path from Hattiesburg to the NFL – Hall of Famer, Ray Guy. Lang hasn’t met the USM and NFL legend yet but should his kicking excellence continue, that meeting will happen sooner rather than later.
From JUCO to Division I, Will Lang keeps teeing it up.
