Kicking is often viewed as the loneliest job in football. When a kick goes through, the spotlight lands on one player, and when it misses, the blame does too. In reality, every field goal depends on 3 people executing their part in a matter of seconds. Andre Szmyt made sure the other 2 got their credit after his game-winning kick last week.
Szmyt discussed his relationship with punter Corey Bojorquez and long snapper Rex Sunahara on The Bark Tank with Andrew Siciliano.
“We’re so close. I think that kind of camaraderie we have shows on the field. I mean, I trust those guys with everything. I know they’re going to do their jobs to the absolute best, and then it kind of allows me to just go out there and play free and not just football, you know, like I know they got me outside the building, too. So I love those guys honestly, and I wouldn’t be in the position I am without them,” Szmyt said of his relationship with Bojorquez and Sunahara.
That appreciation is easy to understand after Thursday night. With the game tied at 24 in the final minute, the snap from Sunahara and the hold from Bojorquez had to be perfect on a 56-yard attempt. The kick split the uprights with 10 seconds left and became the longest field goal of Szmyt’s career.
It also extended his streak to 22 consecutive makes. That kind of consistency is rarely about the kicker alone. A snap that arrives a split second late or a hold with the laces turned the wrong way can throw off an entire attempt.
The trio’s work has not gone unnoticed by the coaching staff. Todd Monken handed game balls to both Szmyt and Bojorquez after the win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, a rare acknowledgment for a unit that usually draws attention only when something goes wrong.
Szmyt’s point about trusting them away from the facility stands out as well. Specialists spend much of their week together, often working on their own while the rest of the roster is in position meetings, and that bond tends to show up when the pressure is at its highest.
He has thrived in those moments for a long time. Szmyt won the Lou Groza Award as a walk-on at Syracuse, and he is now giving the Browns the kind of reliability they need late in close games.
That reliability could become even more important going forward. All 3 of Cleveland’s wins have been decided by 4 points or fewer, and with Mason Graham sidelined and the offense still searching for consistency in the 2nd half, more games are likely to come down to the final possession.
That puts Szmyt, Bojorquez and Sunahara in a spotlight few specialist groups ever experience. If the Browns are going to keep winning tight games on the way to a playoff push, the trust Szmyt described may prove to be one of the most valuable assets on the roster.
NEXT: Analyst Believes Browns Will Take A Surprising Stance At Trade Deadline
