Throughout the summer ODUSports.com will talk to coaches and student-athletes to get to know them better. Today's Q&A is with sophomore kicker, Chris Kirtley. Kirtley took over kicking duties nearly midway through last season and connected on 10-of-13 field goals.
Q: You took over the place-kicking duties after four games last season. What do you think made you earn that spot?
A: It’s kind of a long story, actually. Coming out of a high school I wasn’t recruited very heavily. One day I got a phone call from ODU and they wanted a freshman to come in and compete. I was not expected to be the kicker but the coaches told me, I need to be ready just in case anything goes wrong. So after that I just worked hard, stayed consistent and waited for my turn, and I finally got it.
Q: You ended up having a very successful first season at ODU. You were selected to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team, what does it mean to you?
A: It is very special to me, because I have put a lot of work into this. I started kicking when I was six years old. All I ever wanted was to play college football and maybe go to the NFL one day. So being on a big stage at ODU, and getting an award like that is a dream coming true.
Q: What is your favorite football memory from last season?
A: I have to say the Southern Miss game when Coach Wilder was throwing me in for the 50-yard field goal. The other team called a time out because they were trying to ice me. After Coach Wilder’s timeout, Reed (Buce) snapped the ball and it hit Joe (Pulisic) in the face. It was on TV and they replayed it multiple times, so that was the funniest thing ever. Then we drove down the field and actually got us better field position. There was only 3 seconds on the clock, and the whole stadium was yelling “BLOCK THAT KICK!!” I was kind of nervous, but I nailed it, and it put us up by three at the end of the half. I was pretty happy with that.
Q: Why did you choose ODU?
A: I chose ODU, because they were the only school that gave me a chance. I had some other really small schools, but I knew I could do better than that. Nobody else called me so it was a pretty easy decision.
Q: What is your major? And what do you plan to do with it after college?
A: Right now I am a criminal justice major, and I plan to go to the military after college.
Q: If you could pick any superpower, what would it be, and why?
A: This is a tough one, but I would have to say telekinesis. It would be cool to control stuff with my mind.
Q: Who is the funniest guy on the team?
A: David Washington is pretty funny. He is a really big goof ball and is always doing some dumb stuff on the field.
Q: Who is your favorite athlete?
A: There are bunch of great athletes, for example Muhammad Ali, who just passed away. For me personally though, I really like Conor McGregor. He is a UFC fighter from Ireland. He’s only like 140 pounds, but he just throws his limbs out there, it’s pretty cool.
Q: What is your pre-game ritual?
A: My pre-game ritual starts like two days in advance. I start hydrating early, getting my mind ready and getting pumped up. We always stay a night before the game at the hotel, and I used to room with Satchel (Ziffer). He used to snore so loud I actually ended up sleeping the last few nights on the floor at my friend’s room. On a game day I sneak out to the hallway and play piano. I also like to meditate. Before the games I listen to heavy metal to get me pumped up.
Q: Name an emoji that describes you the most?
A: Definitely “the rock on” hand signal emoji, I love heavy metal.
Q: Favorite NFL team?
A: Redskins. I grew up in McLean, Va., which is only a couple of minutes outside of D.C. All my friends used to watch them play, so I became a fan too.
Q: Do you have any hidden talents?
A: I can juggle. I can do a back flip. I also like to sing a lot, and play piano. It’s a secret of mine.
Q: One place in the world you want to travel to?
A: I think definitely somewhere in Europe. I would say up north, countries like Finland, Sweden or Iceland. I think any of those places would be cool to visit.
Q: Best memory so far at ODU?
A: That’s a tough one because there are so many great memories. One of them is definitely when we beat Charlotte by three points. That was the first game I actually played in, and made my first field goal. I actually ended up making three field goals in that game, and everyone was pretty pumped. I think the last time a kicker made three field goals in one game at ODU was when Jarod Brown was here. I ended up scoring 11 points, and we beat them by three, so I definitely felt like I made a difference and contributed in that game.