The 2024 Senior Bowl will provide an opportunity for NFL draft prospects to prove themselves on the largest pre-draft stage. Alabama kicker Will Reichard plans on taking full advantage. Reichard recently spoke exclusively with the Senior Bowl and Draft Network to discuss his motivation for accepting his invitation to compete in Mobile, Alabama.
Reichard also discussed what he's striving to prove to NFL general managers and scouts in attendance at the Senior Bowl, the upcoming College Football Playoff, balancing the mental and physical traits of kicking, and more. Let's get to know Reichard better ahead of his journey to the Senior Bowl.
JM: Where were you when you found out about your Senior Bowl invite and what was your initial reaction?
Will Reichard: I was in coach Nick Saban’s office. Whenever we have our exit meeting after the season is over and before the Bowl game, coach Saban sits down with all the players who are draft-eligible to discuss their future. He offers us advice on a case-by-case basis.
He handed me the Senior Bowl invite during my individual meeting. I was super excited. I received an invite last season as well but decided to return to Alabama. Playing in the Senior Bowl has always been a dream of mine. I was hoping I’d get another invite this year. I was super excited.
JM: You were a priority invite. What motivated you to accept the Senior Bowl’s offer?
Will Reichard: It was a no-brainer for me. It’s an opportunity to get down to Mobile and be around some of the best football players in the country. I’m going to be around a bunch of NFL personnel as well. I’ll try to showcase my abilities. I’ve heard a lot about how great the experience is at the Senior Bowl. I quickly accepted the offer.
JM: What are you hoping to prove to NFL general managers, coaching staffs, and scouts in attendance in Mobile?
Will Reichard: I’m hoping to prove that I’m a really good player and a really good person. I’m going to show everybody that I’m a great teammate. That’s equally as important as being a great player. Being a super good teammate, being a good leader, and being a good person, all of that factors into the evaluation as well. That’s what I’m hoping to prove.
JM: How would you describe your skill set in your own words? Self-scout yourself.
Will Reichard: If I was writing my own scouting report, I’d say I’ve significantly improved my kickoff ability throughout my career. I especially improved this season compared to previous years. I’ve been a super consistent kicker that’s pretty level-headed. I’ve played in a lot of big games so I’m prepared to kick in challenging moments. Especially playing at Alabama. We play in so many big games.
Playing in the SEC, there are 100,000 people at every game we play. I’d say I have a big leg as well. I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to prove that at Alabama. I just haven’t had a chance to make a bunch of long field goals in my career. But if you look at my kickoffs, you can see that I have a big leg. I just haven’t had a chance to showcase that through field goals.
JM: You’ll get that opportunity in Mobile. As a kicker, how do you balance mental toughness with technique?
Will Reichard: Kicking is 90% mental. There are a lot of guys that have physical ability and great technique, but when it comes to your mental makeup, I think that’s very, very important. I spend a lot of time working on my mentality, being mentally strong, and training my mind mentally.
I spend a lot of time working on my technique as well. The mental aspect of kicking is very important when it comes to kicking in big-time moments. We don’t get as many opportunities to impact a game like other positions do. Other guys might get 70-80 plays in a single game. I might get one or two field goals per game. Being able to take advantage of every opportunity I get is something I really try to focus on.
JM: What can you achieve at the Senior Bowl that you can’t at other pre-draft events?
Will Reichard: It’s a great opportunity for me to kick in front of live pressure in a live game situation. When you’re training, it’s just you and the other guy. At the Senior Bowl, it’s the only pre-draft chance I’ll get to showcase my kicking ability with a live operation field goal. I won’t feel that same pressure at the NFL Scouting Combine or my Pro Day.
I’ll have guys blocking for me at the Senior Bowl. We’ll have a snapper and holder. It’s the entire operation with a bunch of people actually playing in a competitive setting. That experience is unique to this process. It’s certainly a more realistic setting than the combine or pro day.
JM: That’s a terrific point. What’s on Will Reichard’s pre-game playlist?
Will Reichard: I listen to a lot of rap. I’m a big rap fan. I try to get myself as pumped up as possible. I like to get the adrenaline going. I feel like I kick better when I’m up for the game. As soon as I get onto the field, I’m locked in as much as possible. I like to be hyped up before a game. Lil’ Baby, Future, and Gunna are probably the top three guys I listen to.
JM: We love that. At the end of the week, what does a successful Senior Bowl look like for Will Reichard?
Will Reichard: I have to kick to the best of my ability. I can’t control the outside variables. If I leave the Senior Bowl knowing that I did the best that I could, knowing that I kicked to the best of my ability, I think I’ll be satisfied with that.
