Nearly 50 years after Marion Kirby nailed a field goal to win Lenoir-Rhyne University its only national football title, Bears sophomore kicker Colin Corpe is still amazed at how one kick can rewrite history.
"It's kind of weird how this 'War on Turf' that we play can be decided entirely by a guy kicking a ball," Corpe said.
Not that Corpe has any problem with the pressure that surrounds him on a late-game field goal. An All-South Atlantic Conference first-team kicker last season, he connected on 10 of 16 field goals as a freshman and led the Bears with 55 points scored.
Corpe also tied a school record with four field goals made in a 40-14 win over Brevard.
But this season, Corpe expects even more from himself and the Bears, who finished 3-8 a year go.
L-R opens the new season at home Saturday night at 7 p.m. against Shorter College.
"I was actually a little disappointed in how I played last year," Corpe said. "I want to be more productive and consistent this year."
None of the acclaim the Ocala, Fla., product has encountered has altered his view on his job. Whether he is called on to kick an extra point in a blowout or a last-second field goal to win a title, Corpe says he will be ready to contribute.
"If I need to lend a hand, I'll be there when the team needs me, because I know that every point is crucial," Corpe said.
Corpe listed his goals for his sophomore season as "making every extra point, and at least 80 to 83 percent of my field goals.
"The more points I score, the more I'm going to be able to help us out."
Corpe wants to help the Bears out as much as possible as they pursue their first winning season since 1994.
The affable special teams ace firmly believes the attitude in the L-R lockerroom exudes excellence, not mere hope.
"This school has been starved for a winning football team, and the whole team, the seniors, myself, the coaches, we aren't hoping to win, we expect to win," Corpe said.
When Corpe joined the Bears as a freshman, his teammates nicknamed him "kicker," just like previous Bears kicker, All-SAC standout Andrew Coln.
"I'm not the guy who tries to fill somebody's shoes," Corpe said.
Bears head coach Fred Goldsmith believes Corpe has fit in perfectly and he echoed Corpe's sentiments of high expectations.
"I'm really pleased with the kicking game and I expect it to help us out when we need it," Goldsmith said.
Aside from his duties as kicker, Corpe, an English major, excelled in the classroom as a freshman, earning a spot on the All-SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll.
Corpe's major requires he read some of the literary world's finest works, but he says he studies the work of only one football player.
"Jason Hanson of the (Detroit) Lions is the only player I pay attention to, because he's the model of consistency for a kicker," Corpe said.
While Corpe likes to watch Hanson kick, he noted he wouldn't mind seeing pro athletes' salaries taking a turn back to the standards that were common in 1960.
"Those guys make a whole lot of money these days, and if I got the chance to play alongside them I'd take it," Corpe said. "But it shouldn't be about money at any level.
"Knowing I'm doing what I love is plenty for me."
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