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Michael DiRocco
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jaguars kicker Cam Little made a 70-yard discipline aim as the primary half expired in Jacksonville’s preseason-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at EverBank Stadium on Saturday night time, a kick that will have damaged the NFL document had it been made in a regular-season recreation.
“Cannot lie, there was most likely just a little little bit of doubt,” Little mentioned. “However I imply, we tried a number of lengthy discipline objectives in coaching camp. Had some 60, most likely 65-pluses earlier than [in practice]. And so, you recognize, I actually needed to simply go on the market and see what it might do.”
The kick appeared to cross the crossbar with 3 to 4 yards to spare. Had it counted, it might have damaged Justin Tucker’s NFL document of 66 yards, which he made in opposition to the Detroit Lions on Sept. 26, 2021. That recreation was performed inside at Ford Subject.
There have been eight unsuccessful discipline aim makes an attempt of 70-plus yards within the Tremendous Bowl period, in keeping with the Elias Sports activities Bureau.
Little celebrated wildly after the kick, delivering a number of fist pumps. Holder Logan Cooke, who had raised his arms within the air instantly after the ball left Little’s foot, gave him a shove. Travis Hunter was the primary of the gamers who left the sideline to achieve Little and gave him a celebratory chest bump earlier than the kicker was mobbed by the remainder of his teammates.
“That was fairly cool to see, huh?” Jaguars coach Liam Coen mentioned.
Little, a 2024 sixth-round select of Arkansas, made 27 of 29 discipline aim makes an attempt as a rookie. He made 5 of his six makes an attempt from 50 or extra yards, together with a 59-yarder that tied Josh Scobee’s document for the longest in franchise historical past.
When Coen referred to as timeout with one second remaining within the first half, he appeared over at Little to gauge his response to trying the 70-yard kick. There was no hesitation.
“Me and Logan had been like, ‘We wish to kick it. We wish to kick it,'” Little mentioned. “When he gave me the chance … we went on the market, and adrenaline’s a fantastic factor.”
Little, who left the sector with the soccer, mentioned a couple of half-hour after the sport that he nonetheless hadn’t seen the ball cross the crossbar. He’s 6-foot-1 and generally has a tough time seeing over the offensive linemen, he mentioned, however he knew it had an opportunity.
“When Logan’s eyes received actually massive, he is like freaking out,” Little mentioned. “I caught it actually good, clearly.”
