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Speaker 3: Today it is not for little Cougars and the pros.
Speaker 2: Gonna welcome to a former BAU Cougar, a former b
A BAU great, one of the best kickers in BA
football history, to talk some ball with us, Get an
update from him, how he's uh his pre draft processors going,
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let's get out to the hot Ligen and welcome in
former BYU Great the six foot four, one hundred and
seventy five powder out of Kaysville, Utah. The Big leg
Will Fair and number forty four on the football field.
Speaker 3: What's up? Will?
Speaker 4: Hey?
Speaker 3: How's it going?
Speaker 4: Appreciate you guys having me on?
Speaker 2: Yes, indeed, Big kick Bill Baby will give us an update?
Speaker 3: Man, How that are you? How are things going? Family? Uh?
The the crazy world we're living and how.
Speaker 4: You doing doing good? Yeah, it's it's crazy, former player,
It's it's weird hearing that. Haven't gotten that too much yet.
But we've been good. We've been still in Provo. I've
I've been training as a football facility, so I've been
here since the season ended and it's been good. It's
it's funny. I graduated in December and then it just
turned into all football. So training. At first it was
getting ready for the Senior Bowl, and then we did that,
and then everything shifted towards the Combine, getting ready for
the Combine, and then we just finished that and now
we've got our sites on Pro Day, so everything moves
super quick. But we're still just doing the same thing.
It's just putting the ball up through the uprights, and
we gotta do that in lots of different places. It
has been pretty cool.
Speaker 3: I love that man.
Speaker 2: A couple of things that I think about as you
as you pontificated there, former player, right.
Speaker 3: Like wow, like form play that went by fast?
Speaker 2: What went by faster the mission field or your time
at BYU.
Speaker 4: Probably probably the time of BYU.
Speaker 2: I would say the mission became a little bit long
and arguments then day at times.
Speaker 4: Huh, yeah, I think we once I transferred to BYU
College Football and flying by. Yeah, the mission also went
flying by, but I don't know if it was quite
as fast.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's kind of crazy, like I think about that
because I had I had a three year career at
b YU as well as a JUCO transfer and red shirt,
and then played two and then it flew by. And
I'm like, you asked me the same question. I'm like,
I think football flew by faster than the mission because
there was like times where it felt like really really long.
Speaker 3: The days were so long, you know, but you weren't
a beautiful place.
Speaker 2: Vancouver Kennedy kid me, that's that's like celestial Kingdom, Baby, that's.
Speaker 4: Beauty was awesome, and and the whole province is the mission.
So traveling around the province, it's like it's so different
from from zone to zone. So it's cool to travel
around a little bit. I'm still trying to get my
wife back up there. At some point we'll have a
break and we'll go check it out.
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, uh, you've had a great Uh, you had
a great career at b YU, Like I said, one
of the greatest to have ever done it in a
b YU uniform. And uh, like, let me take a
step back here, because you transferred in right, and you.
Speaker 3: Know, K Pop was really excited to bring you in.
Speaker 2: I remember chatting with him when when uh, when he
came back to b YU and he's like, yeah, like
will when he was at Boys when you were at
Boys of State. I mean he was pushing the guy
that was the starter. I mean it was neck and neck,
it was competitive, and really liked him and that's why
we brought him in, right, And so you came to
Provo and then all of a sudden, you know, us
media members we show up right and we're.
Speaker 3: Watching and you had it. Yes, you struggle a little
bit and spring right. Oh dude, we have to go
get it.
Speaker 4: I was getting flamed through Spring.
Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, man, like I was. It was my
fault too. I'm like, shit, did b y you need
to go out up to the transfer portal again and
get another kicker, And like k Pip's like he's gonna
be fine.
Speaker 3: He gets tell us he's gonna be fine. Don't worry
about it.
Speaker 2: Take us back to that that moment you transferring, you're
gonna be the guy you're competing, Like there's a competition brewing, right,
But you know, you struggle a little bit in springball
and obviously came out of that and became one of
the greatest.
Speaker 4: Yeah. So at the time, I was coming off of
an injury. So in Boise, I missed my last five
or six games up there with a groin injury and
didn't kick from the time I left Boise to the
time springball started. So there were even schools in the
portal that wanted to like see me kick, like have
me send videos or something. And I'm saying I'm healthy,
but like not quite fully ready to go yet.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: So I got the springball and I think it was
the first day we had that press your kick.
Speaker 2: Yeah, And I think all of us, what's going on?
Speaker 4: That was brutal And I think like that spring is
probably the most I've been tested as a kicker, Like
we were doing pressure kicks. I think that's the only
time in my career I've done pressure kicks in front
of the media. Now that I think back on it,
is that a good thing?
Speaker 2: Do you think it's a good thing for kickers to
go and kick in front of the media, Like, you know,
I have my opinion on it, but.
Speaker 3: Like, get it.
Speaker 4: I think it is. I think pressure in a game
is such a hard thing to replicate in practice. I
think any way you can get pressure in practice is
a good thing. And sometimes kickers hate it, but that's
part of the business. Like if you can get the
team running on a pressure kick, or if you can
get the media out there or whatever it is, if
it's something that that stresses a kicker out a little bit,
then it's great to do in practice because then you
get into a game and in the in the game,
the media is watching, fans are watching, You're you're under
the spotlight, and it makes it that much easier when
you've been there before. Like I think that springball was
so beneficial for me because it was hard and we
were competing and the media was talking and fans were
talking and my neighbors were talking and yeah, and it
felt like a little miniature version of what the season
would turn out to be, and I felt like I
was that much more prepared because of it.
Speaker 2: It's it's tough, man, It's it's good to have like
a refining fire and pressure and pressure makes diamonds right
and you had plenty of diamond moments in your career, which, uh,
you know, it's hard being a kicker. Like, look, I
I was I was a holder. You know, I was
a holder, you know, much of my career. So I'm
I'm trying to just amp up my kicker all the
time saying like, you know, like these self affirmation type
of things, like you're a bad egg.
Speaker 3: You're freaking awesome, bro, Like you're the best in the
freaking world.
Speaker 2: I'm gonna lay down this like this hole, it's gonna
be perfect. It's gonna be a perfect snap. You're gonna
freaking boot it through the It's hard.
Speaker 3: Man.
Speaker 2: My high school kicker, I mean he had a huge
leg like you, and you know, sometimes with a big leg,
you know, and you get out to the fifties and
stuff like that, You're like, wait, do I have enough
leg for this one? And so I'm like, bro, you
haveving a freaking leg for this one. You know what
I mean, you have enough leg. You don't have to
change the mechanics, bro, just swep through it, you know,
because and you know, you know, having a big leg,
You're like, okay, well is there some wind?
Speaker 3: You're like trying to do.
Speaker 2: I have to put a little bit more into this
and then you pull it, you push it, what have you?
Typically more of a poll right when you're trying to
get a little bit more leg into it.
Speaker 3: But it's a dynamic, man, it's tough.
Speaker 2: People don't realize the mental component of being a great kicker.
Speaker 4: I don't think, yeah, for sure, And that's something that
comeing to BYU. I put such an emphasis on, like
they made it that Deep Blue video about it where
I got the BYU and it was like, how do
I turn this into a strength? If I'm gonna be
a kicker at a high level, this needs to be
a strength for me. And there's ways kickers can can
practice fat and work that, like like you work out
in a gym, but it takes a lot of time
building up and something that we put a lot into
for sure.
Speaker 3: A by U, Yeah, I had an idea once.
Speaker 2: I'm like, if I could, I don't think this is legal,
but if I could, I would literally have like a
warmed up, like atmospheric controlled tent for my specialists to
hang out in during the games.
Speaker 3: And they have no idea what's going on in the game.
Speaker 2: They have no idea they can play video games, they
can kick, stretch, maybe get a massage, eat some snacks,
whatever it is that they want to do it. They
have no idea what's going on. It's maybe like soundproof
and then it's like all right, hey, you're up, like okay,
and you you can't look at the scoreboard.
Speaker 3: You don't know what's going on.
Speaker 5: You just trot out. No, man, just trot out. Maybe
just trot out there and just do your thing. Bro,
It's perfect. It's just like practice. Get out there and
kick the ball anyway.
Speaker 3: I know that's not feasible, but I've thought about it.
I know I know you do.
Speaker 4: I'm as big of a BYU fan as there is.
I want to see the boys ball and uh, if
there's pressure on that, then just teach me how to
handle it and we'll be in a good spot. You
gotta put your kicker in a tent, then your kicker
probably needs some extra practice.
Speaker 3: That's true, no doubt about it.
Speaker 2: We like seeing the We like seeing the camera pan
to you and that beautiful mustache.
Speaker 3: Of yours is the stash still going strong? You know
what I mean? Or have you gone beard? Have you
gone beard? Like Chase Roberts.
Speaker 4: I've gone beard. It doesn't look quite like Chases, and
I don't know if it's gonna last much longer. I
think I think the next time I'm in the light
of day, it'll probably be a mustache again.
Speaker 2: Really, I mean, clean up the neck a little bit,
you get a groom. We need, We need to see
the beard. It happens to every BYU athlete. They leave
BYU and they grow out the beard.
Speaker 4: It's like when you get back from a mission and
you're not quite sure if you can grow a beard,
so you got to experiment a little bit. I think
that's what we go through after we finish at b YU.
You but I think I've had the I think I've
seen what I can grow, and I'm not quite satisfied
with it. So I think it might be back to
the mustache.
Speaker 2: Yeah, at this point, Yeah, Chase has a strong fellyicular strength.
Speaker 3: He was He definitely looked good with the beard.
Speaker 2: There we got Will Ferrin former by U Gray, one
of the greatest who have kicked the football. Here at
Here on Utah's ESPN Radio network, one of three nine
ninety eight point three ESPN The fan Look, it's it's.
Speaker 3: Rare to have players.
Speaker 2: Get the the the Senior Bowl invite, uh, and the
and the Combine invite.
Speaker 3: How special was that.
Speaker 2: For you and how validating was that for you to
get those two invites?
Speaker 4: Yeah, it was cool. It's like you you grew up
your whole life watching the Senior Bowl and watching the
Combine and all of that, and it's cool and there's
a lot of like like just just the bright lights
to it. It's the that you grew up watching. But
I think for me now, when you finally get to it,
it's just another opportunity to go and kick in front
of people. And at this stage where you're in between
college and the NFL, that's all that you really want
is you want you want eyes on you, and you
want to be able to go and show what you've
been working on. So getting to go to both of
those was huge and for me it was a huge
opportunity just to be able to go and show show
what I can do and get some decision makers watching
me while I do it. So yeah, it was fun.
It was fun to get down to Mobile and experience
that whole thing. And then Indy was a blast as well.
Speaker 3: Yeah, what was the Senior Bowl, like for the kickers
and for you specifically.
Speaker 4: Yeah, it was cool. It was so there was one
kicker on each team, and the week leading up to
the game was really just like a game week. It
was even the same schedule of practices that we do
at BYU. We had coaching staff that was put together
of coaches from NFL teams, so they're running us through
whatever scheme they do with their team, and we got
to go and do a couple of practices and you
walk i mean the combine in the Senior Bowl at
the same where you walk around the field and there's
NFL coaches and NFL gms and and everyone, which is
so cool. And then we get to the game and
it was it was like twenty something degrees. It was
thirty mile an hour wind. It was when all those
storms were going through the South, and so it was
a great day to be putting footballs up in the air.
But me and the other kicker both got a one
field goal attempt in the game and we both made it,
so it was a good showing for both of us.
And then right after that we're on a plane back
home and onto the next thing. So it feels it
felt like an extension of the season where you go
through the games, and this one was pretty quick after
the season, so it just kind of felt like another
another opportunity to have a game.
Speaker 2: Really, what was the conversation that you had with a
coach at GM scout while you're out there at the
Senior Bowl like that you were like, wow, well, wow,
I'm talking to this guy.
Speaker 4: I think just everyone, like our our interview portion of
the Senior Bowl for specialists, it was a lot of
the stuff's a little bit different for specialists in other positions.
And on our interview for that was over a zoom
There were twenty five coaches on a zoom call, so
we didn't really get to have the whole like one
on one table to table experience that other players have.
But after one of the field goal sessions, I walked
off the field and Jim Harbaugh was standing there and
talked to us for a minute. And so it's cool.
It's cool to just run into to all of these guys.
But you've you've been watching for so long.
Speaker 2: What was the weirdest question that you've been asked in
this process? Like like if you were vegetable, Like what vegetable?
What was it like there's some weird stuff that they
have ask mine.
Speaker 4: Mine hasn't been as weird as I thought it was
going to be. Like going into it, I think I
had this expectation that it was going to be all
this weird stuff. It might have all been pretty straightforward,
But talking to some of the other guys, I think
the weirdest question that I've heard is just what's your
favorite quote?
Speaker 2: M hm?
Speaker 3: Did you get that one?
Speaker 4: I think I'd have to be dipping into the scriptures
or something.
Speaker 3: I was gonna say. I think I bet you're gonna
go scripture on that one.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I guess this the quote that the punter came
up with. I don't remember what it was, but it
was not quite that. I mean, I guess that's the
way to get some personality out of someone. For sure.
You can learn a lot from that.
Speaker 2: Crazy man will found in form a b y U
great getting prepped for the NFL draft here on your
Utah ESPN radio network. So the initial invite list that
that was published on NFL dot com did not include you, Right,
I've seen it where like you know, there's like this
initial projected list. Give me the process of getting that
invite to the NFL Combine. Like the initial list was
like Tommy Doman, Junior, Ryan Eckley, Tray Smack, a couple
of these guys or one of these guys that you
were out there with the Senior Bowl, True Stevens, Jack Stonehouse,
Brett Thorson, and the Dominique Zavada.
Speaker 3: What was the process like getting the invite.
Speaker 4: Yeah, so they've been I think it was two years
ago they started doing the Specialist Showcase, and it sounds
like they've been trying to push more players to the
Specialist Showcase. Every year they invite less specialists to the
Combine Combine and push them to the Showcase. And I
wouldn't be surprised if at some point they're the same thing.
But the only difference between that group and the rest
of us that got invited after was they got they
had one extra day there where they did all the
medicals gotch But in terms of doing interviews and doing
the workout and measurements and all of that, we were
together doing all that stuff. So it was I was
a little bit confused at first when everything came out
and just how the format of everything worked out, But
but that's how it ended up being.
Speaker 2: What did they test you guys on there at the
at the combine? I mean, I know there's the interview portion.
Is that is it more heavily weighted towards the interview
potion portion getting to know you than it is like
performative because they have film they maybe saw the.
Speaker 4: No. I think I think the workout was the biggest
part the workout. They it was probably five hours of
kicking wow, where we went from field goal to kick off,
and they split us up into two teams and kind
of made a competition out of it. And then they
had track Man was there. It's the company that started
with golf stimulators and now they are into football as well.
So they had track Man giving us a bunch of
data about the balls that we were heading. So it
gives data like the height of the live scrimmage, how
fast the ball spinning, how far the kick would be
good from. So I think a lot of it was that.
And then now we get into the process where coaches
come out for private workouts and they come out for
the pro day and actually get their hands on a
little bit more. And I think that probably carries the
most weight of all of it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, well we got some good kickers who had some
good kickers in the league. Ryan Rika punted the ball
pretty well, and I expect that.
Speaker 3: I mean, how you feeling like?
Speaker 2: You feel like, you know the feedback they've received that
you're going to get drafted. Have be a high priority
undrafted free agent. You know some of the the issues
with being a specialist, right I've had buddies that have
played in the league that are long snappers, punters, et cetera.
You know, the problem is you need a guy like
to retire sometimes to get a spot. So give me
a little eval of where you know. The prognostication is
that right.
Speaker 4: Now, Yeah, it's hard to say exactly. Free agency opens
next week and there'll be lots of moving around and
andy with with kicking, it's the timing needs to work out.
You need to fall into the right place at the
right time. So a lot of that is due to
change over the next couple of weeks. I think I
sit in a good spot though. I think kind of
what I was saying earlier about getting in front of
guys is the big piece, and if you can get
to the Senior Bowl and if you can get to
the combine and just be in front of people and
and show off your ball flight and your ability. Then
that's really all that you can ask for. And I've
been able to do that at both of those events,
so so I think it looks good and hopefully that
can continue and I can get into a camp, whether
that be getting drafted or getting signed to the free
agent and go compete. And that's really all that you
can ask for at the end of the day.
Speaker 3: Love that man excited for you.
Speaker 2: Let's reminisce for a moment, shall we your favorite moments
as a way as fast as it flew by? Right
as quickly as it did, you had some of my awesome, iconic,
indelible moments that you created for cougarnation, for yourself and
for your your family as you were repping the fair
name on the back of your jersey.
Speaker 3: What were some of your favorite moments?
Speaker 4: Well, it's gotta be Utah twenty twenty four crazy, that
would be the highlight.
Speaker 6: There's a will, there is a way when you're when
you're a kid growing up in Utah County, that's that's
what you dream of, So that that takes the cake
for sure.
Speaker 4: Lots of other cool ones. Pop Tar Bowl was awesome.
Alim Mobile was awesome. Beating Utah at home was awesome too.
It's awesome no matter where you do it. It's fun. But yeah,
I think I think those are the biggest.
Speaker 2: What are you gonna miss about b YU football now
that you've you're leaving it right, not to say you
can't come back hang out, you know, mentor train there
still be connected obviously as alum that we all try
to be that, but you know, what are you gonna
miss about it?
Speaker 4: Yeah? I think I think just being with the guys
and being part of of the culture at b Yu,
Like it really is such a unique place, and and
the brotherhood is uncommon at the Uyu like every I
think every school says that it's a brotherhood and and
and all that, but bu Yu, it it's really really
the case. Like I mean, even even recently, I was
out kicking in the indoor with the trainer that I have,
and my wife was there, and then as we're kicking,
guys are coming in to work out, and then before
you know it, Bears sitting there and a couple other
guys coming in to work out with Bear all sitting
there and everyone's just just talking and That's something you
don't really get everywhere else. And I think that's part
of the culture that Kilani creates, is just that unity
with everyone where sure quarterback, a specialist, no lineman, safety
or whatever it is. The guys are really close with
each other, and I think that's hard to replicate anywhere else.
Speaker 3: Will.
Speaker 7: I have to ask you this because I told our
social media guy. I won't reveal his identity, but he
told me during his interview, please ask Will to confirm
if I had to catch his kicks on p Day
when we were companions. It's a certain guy from Georgia, Pennsylvania,
you might recall.
Speaker 4: Hm. I don't know.
Speaker 7: If that, but he wanted me to get that confirmed
on air.
Speaker 4: He caught kick for me, for sure. I also caught
lots of three pointers for him. I don't know. I
don't know who did more, catching me shagging basketball or
him shagging football. But it's competitive for sure.
Speaker 7: Yeah, Brett's a competitive guy.
Speaker 3: That's good to know.
Speaker 7: Reddit three points right, he says he's Brett sticking the
lower extreminity. He says he'd be on the low block.
That's good to know he shoots threes.
Speaker 4: Well, I didn't say where I was shagging the ball from.
I just said, I'm standing up on the stage shagging
balls for Brett.
Speaker 3: Will Ferret, ladies and gentlemen. Will.
Speaker 2: Who should we look out for on this next year's
b YU football team. Who's looking to maybe step up
have a bigger role offensively, defensively or special teams?
Speaker 3: Anyone you want to highlight for us?
Speaker 2: And springball is here and we're watching closely to so
who can step up and be a playmaker for Brigham?
Speaker 4: Yeah? I think Matthiah has done is one to watch.
I mean, he he's been at b YU as long
as I have, and he's done a lot of preparing
to finally get a shot, and assuming he wins the
job this offseason, they have a competition set up for him.
But he's someone that I've gotten to know really well
and done a lot of preparing with and I'm convinced
that he can can do some pretty amazing thing when
he gets the chance.
Speaker 3: Love that man. He's a He's a red shirt senior,
right red shirt senior.
Speaker 2: At a Heaver City. He was a big leg, kicked
well in high school, had some good offers and chose BYU.
Unfortunately had to compete against one of the greatest in
Will farrin right, and hasn't been able to u showcase
his abilities just yet. So we'll be looking forward to
the six foot two hundred pound out of Heaver City, Utah.
Speaker 3: Anybody else you want to highlight? I know you. You
say you're a big fan of football.
Speaker 2: You said it, I'm a big b YU football fan,
But you only want to talk special teams.
Speaker 3: You watch defense and offense too.
Speaker 4: Hey, all the boys are ready to go. I mean
being in the building. It's cool seeing all the guys work,
seeing bear outs, bear out throwing, and Glasger looks ready
to go. Schmeav looks really good. I think. I think
those guys are it's gonna be popping off this season.
And LJ too. LJ getting LJ back for another year
is huge. Oh, I'm excited to see him.
Speaker 2: Do you wish as a kicker that like the kickers
would do like the forty yard dash and like the
vertical so you could really showcase how well round of
an athlete you're not just a kicker.
Speaker 4: I might have to to try running a forty yard
dash before I can give you an answer to that one.
Speaker 3: All right, Well, We'll.
Speaker 4: Have to see where my numbers lie and then I'll
get back to you.
Speaker 2: I see the fast Twitch, I see the quick twitch moll.
So you got it and you just got to train
for it. Will Farren, Ladies and gentlemen, we appreciate you man,
Thanks so much for hopping on. Let us know if
you need anything from us, and I can't wait to
see what you can do in the National.
Speaker 3: Football leagu Good luck, Will. We'll catch up again soon.
Speaker 4: I appreciate you, guys. Thank you.
Speaker 3: There you go.
Speaker 2: That's Will Farren, Big kick Bill Baby, love me some.
Will Farren shout out to Will for joining us today.
Great segment. Fantastic catching up with a former b YU.
Speaker 3: Great. That segment was brought to you.
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break Coming up next, I caught up with Reggie