Consistency is key: Adrain Guzman

BY JAXON HANSARD / Multimedia Journalist 

There are a lot of players and moving parts on a football team. Lineman moving or holding people so the offense can develop, position players like tight ends, receivers, running backs doing their job to move the ball forward while the quarterback decides and organizes his team. 

Those are important but just as important is the kicker. The kicker can affect the heartbeat of the game and decide the fate of the victory by kicking the winning field goal or keeping you in the game.

Adrian Guzman has been the kicker for Tarleton State University for four seasons. Guzman is a senior construction science major from Temple, Texas. 

“I didn’t really do football as a kid, I did a lot of soccer and I did that all through High School, I started playing football in middle school and then they were looking for a kicker and I was alright at it, it wasn’t until I got to my sophomore year of high school that I realized I could go somewhere kicking a football,” Guzman said.

Guzman has kicked and punted in all 10 games of the 2023 season so far and recorded four field goal makes on four attempts against Central Arkansas with five 50+ yards punts. 

“It’s not that different, it definitely adds a workload but I did it in high school and it’s pretty much the same as high school so I just get to go out there and have fun,” Guzman said. “My coach always told me kicking is 90% mental and 10% physical and usually if I’m kicking bad I just stop kicking for the day cause I don’t want to create any bad habits.”

Keeping consistency is key to Guzman’s kicking success with the Tarleton Texans. 

“Over time realizing that it’s about quality, I can go out and kick 100 balls but really I can go out and hit ten good ones and just maintain that,” Guzman said

Guzman started his recruiting late into his high school career but attended multiple camps. He did most of his recruiting himself by sending his own film to college coaches over Twitter. He described the scouting process as “pretty fun.” 

Being with Tarleton for four years he has grown fond of Stephenville. 

“I love Stephenville, it’s not a big town but it’s a quiet town. My hobbies have definitely changed and  I’m into golf a lot more now, I’ve always fished,” Guzman said. “Hunting is probably another one I would add.”