Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Journal proving to be write stuff for kicker Aguayo
Ricky Aguayo carries a journal around with him everywhere.
The letters NFL are engraved on the black cover.
Aguayo writes in it, giving himself advice.
Whenever Florida State’s senior kicker goes through slumps on the field, he’ll reference the journal. It’s helped him build tough skin during his FSU career, and it’s helped him develop resilience when he faces criticism from the coaching staff and the fan base.
He’ll take a look at the journal before taking the field for the final time at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday as the Seminoles (5-5) host Alabama State (5-4) at noon on Senior Day. FSU is favored by 40 points.
Writing things down didn’t appeal to the Mascotte native when he was younger. But as he endured through rough patches, he gave it a try.
“I didn’t really pay much attention to it, and then as I grew older, I started seeing a lot more professional athletes do it,” Aguayo said. “Just writing things down and I would hear it over time, and I was like, ‘Man, maybe I should try it.’ And I did try it, and it’s stuck with me ever since.”
It was never going to be easy for Aguayo when he got to FSU.
Not only was he replacing arguably the best kicker in program history and one of the best in college football history, but that kicker also happened to be his brother, Roberto Aguayo, who became a household name as a placekicker.
The younger Aguayo got off to a fast start, setting a program record with six field goals against Ole Miss during his first college game in 2016. He collected accolades his first season, including ESPN Freshman All-America honors. In 2017, he made 18 of 21 field-goal attempts.
Aguayo seemed to be on track after his sophomore season to reach the heights his brother set with the Seminoles. And then the struggles set in. Aguayo connected on only 11 of 17 attempts last season and is only 6-for-11 this season. The calls for him to be replaced only grew. He missed the Syracuse game because he was out with an illness before returning against rival Miami, a 27-10 FSU loss.
“That can be a lonely position and it’s just one of those things where people expect you to be perfect, and nobody is going to be perfect,” said IMG Academy’s Kevin Wright, who coached Aguayo his senior year in high school. “He’s pretty darn good.”
Whenever he goes through his slumps, Ricky Aguayo goes back to his journal. He takes it to class and to film sessions.
Former IMG Academy director of football Steve Walsh, who was once an NFL quarterback, gave Aguayo the journal during an exit meeting right before he enrolled at FSU in December 2015.
Walsh told him to keep it close to him and to jot things down whenever he was having success.
Aguayo didn’t use it much during freshman season. He spotted it lying in his room the following year. He figured it was worth carrying the journal around and writing in it. Aguayo writes down what he was thinking after each kick.
Like most kickers, Aguayo tries to stick to a routine every time he steps on the field. He says to himself before every kick: “Take a few steps back, have a smooth rhythm, a wide plant and trophy pose,” which he calls his follow-through.
The journal helps him make sure he’s sticking to that routine.
“I think it’s helped me a ton,” Aguayo said. “If I stick to those two or three things, there’s a 90% chance that field goal is going to go in, rather than thinking about all the other variables and all the other negative stuff that drops the percentage down a ton.”