In The Spotlight: Gators kicker Caleb Sturgis
Friday, August 12, 2011 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Caleb Sturgis went from a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award to a kicker who couldn't kick.
Mind it had nothing to do with the right leg that Sturgis used to boot 22 field goals as a sophomore in 2009, including a 56-yarder against Georgia that stood as the longest field goal in the SEC that season.
No, Sturgis didn't lose his touch. But he has lost some of the training methods he once used.
“He's not doing squats anymore,'' Gators coach Will Muschamp said.
As part of his routine to build leg strength, Sturgis used to do a lot of squats and dead lifts, exercises more reminiscent of a hulking offensive lineman than a 5-foot-11, 183-pound kicker.
About midway through fall camp last season, Sturgis started to have lower-back pain. He tried to lift and kick his way through it. He made it four games into the season until the pain was too unbearable. Suddenly, kicking field goals was the least of his concerns.
Sturgis just wanted a good night's sleep. Eventually tests revealed Sturgis had a hairline fracture of a vertebrate in his lower back. He missed the rest of the season and was redshirted.
“At the beginning of the season it was bearable,'' Sturgis said. “Then it got worse and worse.''
Sturgis is back on the field now and his presence provides the Gators with a proven kicker in Muschamp's first season at UF. In three seasons Sturgis has made 24 of 34 field goals and his strong right leg has accounted for 26 touchbacks.
Sturgis has replaced those strenuous squats with massages, time in an ice tank and extra stretching sessions with team trainers. The revamped conditioning program has him looking forward to a strong comeback season.
“It's been great so far,'' Sturgis said. “I've been taking a lot better care of it. I'm kicking.''
Other than for cutting down on the number of practice kicks he takes daily to protect his back – he said he usually takes about 40 kicks per practice – Sturgis said he feels back to form. If there are no setbacks, Sturgis is expected to serve as the placekicker and kickoff specialist.
After he was hurt last year, punter Chas Henry took over the place-kicking duties and shared kickoff duties with walk-ons Zack Brust and Brandon Phillips. Henry's highlight was a game-winning field goal to beat Georgia in overtime.
His low point was a pair of missed field goals at The Swamp in Florida's 10-7 homecoming loss to Mississippi State, a tough night for Sturgis as well.
“Any time your team loses, it's tough to watch,'' Sturgis said. “It was hard putting Chas put through that. He hadn't kicked since high school.''
Henry is now with the Eagles and trying to win the team's punting job – he made his debut in Thursday night's preseason game against Baltimore. Meanwhile, Sturgis has his old job back and hopes his past success follows.
“I'm really excited. I think this is the most excited I've been going into a camp,'' he said Thursday. “I'm just excited to be back out there with the guys.''
Sturgis looks like his old self from what Muschamp has seen in his time in Gainesville.
“He is strong,'' Muschamp said. “He had no issues in the summer as far as workouts. We haven't really done a full kickoff unit. He has been doing some kickoff but not at the tempo we're going to have him.
“He has been kicking the ball extremely well so far in camp.''
Sturgis isn't concerned about a loss in distance due to less strength training. He said he can still hit 50-yarders fine in practice.
“I don't think I've lost anything,'' he said.
There's only one other thing Sturgis wants to lose: that feeling he experienced a year ago watching from the sideline the final nine games of the season.
He learned how much of a kick it is to be on the field and contributing.
“When I was injured I wasn't helping the team out,'' he said. “The training staff did a good job of getting me back and I just want to do what I can to help the team.''
