Teammates rally around struggling Husker kicker Connor Culp: ‘We bring each other up’
LINCOLN, Neb. – William Przystup searched for the right word to describe how kickers and punters react when one is struggling during a game.
“Brotherhood” isn’t quite it, but all of them know what NU kicker Connor Culp is experiencing at the moment. The mistake can’t linger, or it will work into a specialist’s thinking.
“We bring each other up for sure, but when things happen and we can’t control them, we try to let them go,” Przystup said. “We pick each other up while saying, ‘Think about the next play and go on.’”
That’s what NU specialists are trying to do for Culp, who missed two field goals Saturday and has missed five total, plus two extra points, in four games. He’s pushed kicks and he’s hooked kicks.
Przystup, who is also Culp’s holder, said it’s not an effort concern so much as a matter of “grit.”
“Either you want it or you don’t,” Przystup said.
Przystup asks Culp how he wants the ball positioned on its axis and how far back he wants it placed from the line of scrimmage. He doesn’t get involved in decision-making beyond that.
“I don’t feel like there’s anything different from last year, except that it just sounds different,” Przystup said. “It sounds like he’s hitting the ball harder compared to last year.”
Przystup had to make a mid-game adjustment in his approach because Scott Frost made a change at kicker Saturday. After the second miss, Culp sat the bench as freshman Kelen Meyer hustled in to kick an extra point. Meyer’s PAT was blocked. Przystup was trampled in the aftermath of OU’s return for two points.
“I saw the ball, heard the block and thought, ‘OK, here we go,’” Przystup said.
Frost said Monday he retained faith in Culp – the Big Ten kicker of the year in 2020 – but there’s now an open competition for a starting job that was Culp’s to own at the start of the season.
Outside linebacker Garrett Nelson tries to support Culp through pointing out his own or the defense’s mistakes. Nelson estimated the Huskers missed multiple interceptions and four or five sacks Saturday.
“Everybody’s crucifying Culp for missing kicks, but if we’re counting kicks, they missed one too,” Nelson said. “We still lose by a point if we made ours and they made theirs. He’s got a lot of flak for that.”
Nelson said the Huskers are “maturing” in the way they come to players who have made mistakes while holding them accountable.
“Hopefully you see us truly caring about each other,” Nelson said. “I talked to him, everybody talked to him. They talk to each other. Just words of encouragement. I told him I love him no matter what, he’s our family, don’t put this all on you. … I know what it’s like to be a disappointment or have a disappointing performance before. I like when dudes came and talked to me after. It made me feel a lot better.”
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