Plebe kicker makes sparkling debut
Nichols connects on 44-yard FG, goes 6-for-6 on extra points
Bijan Nichols did everything possible to maintain his placekicking form during the Naval Academy’s notoriously grueling plebe sum
mer.
That rugged seven-week training regimen tends to sap the strength of future midshipmen and is especially difficult on freshmen members of the varsity football team.
“During sports period I would go through my technique and make sure the dynamics of my swing were right,” said Nichols, adding that he tried to stay “limber and stretched out.”
Plebes spend an inordinate amount of time on their feet during the months of June and July. After 22 years at the academy, Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo has noticed how incoming recruits tend to have weary legs during August training camp.
That issue is particularly problematic for a placekicker.
“You never know how a freshman’s legs are going to be… do they have anything left after plebe summer,” Niumatalolo said.
Nichols readily admits that plebe summer did impact his kicking ability. “It took about two weeks for me to get back into it to where I felt comfortable,” he said.
All of which helps explain why Nichols was not even part of the open competition for the starting placekicker position at the start of preseason practice. Senior J.R. Osborn entered August drills atop the depth chart, but was being challenged by classmate Owen White and sophomore Ben Fee.
In an article about the placekicking competition that appeared in the August 12 edition of assistant Steve Johns seemed certain the job would come down to Osborn, White and Fee.
“We’re still trying to find an answer there. Those three guys are fairly even right now. No one has really stood out,” said Johns, who oversees the point after touchdown-field goal unit. “We’ve got a month to sort this all out and finalize it.”
So it was a real surprise one week later when Navy issued an updated depth chart and it listed Nichols even with Fee and White. Osborn was not even on the three-deep. Basically, Nichols forced his way into competition through impressive practice performance.
“I knew if I wanted to get noticed I would have to make every kick no matter what. I started telling myself that each kick must be made,” he said. “Eventually I got the opportunity to start kicking with live reps.”
Navy’s starting placekicker remained a mystery until moments after fullback Nelson Smith scored the season’s first touchdown on a 4-yard run early in the first quarter of the opener against Holy Cross. Nichols and Osborn both trotted onto the field, but the latter knelt to serve as holder when the unit lined up.
Nichols calmly drilled that extra point through the uprights and thus began a perfect debut. The 6-foot-1, 165-pounder’s second appearance produced a 44-yard field goal, believed to be one of the longest by a plebe in program history.
In addition to the impressive field goal, Nichols also went 6-for-6 on point after touchdowns. The Texas native became the first plebe to start at placekicker for Navy since Nick Sloan in 2012.
“I thought the kid kicked really, really well. For a freshman to kick like that, I was really proud of him,” Niumatalolo said afterward.
Niumatalolo mentioned that Nichols opened the eyes of the coaching staff by converting a 51-yard field goal during an intra-squad scrimmage at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. When Nichols later made a “game-winning” 52-yarder off natural grass to close out a simulated two-minute drill during practice, Niumatalolo decided to go with the plebe in the opener.
“Bijan has a super strong leg and kicks with great height and length. He has all the tools,” Niumatalolo said.
Nichols called the 51-yarder at the stadium a “real confidence-boost” and felt like he gained the trust of teammates and coaches. Following with a 52-yarder in a pressure situation proved the previous field goal was no fluke.
“I knew I had a decent shot of getting the job. I just needed to make sure I was consistent and put each one down the middle,” he said.
Nichols was home-schooled for a while and decided to try out for football as a freshman at Rockwall-Heath High so he could spend more time with friends.
“I found out I was decent at kicking and things progressed from there,” said Nichols, who wound up attending the public school in his hometown. “Going into the spring of my sophomore year I realized it was something I could take somewhere.”
Nichols, who grew up playing soccer, started training under Chris Sailer — a nationally-recognized placekicking and punting instructor.
“I would say Chris Sailer and Carson Wiggs really helped me out and made a big difference in my kicking,” Nichols said.
Nichols initially gave a verbal pledge to Army West Point, but flopped to Navy after having a conversation with his cousin. That would be Brady Petersen, a safety for the Navy football team and 2019 academy graduate.
“Both service academies offer great educations, great opportunities. I started thinking about service selection and at Navy it is much broader,” Nichols said. “Brady helped talk me into it. I got up here and it felt like home. I made the decision to come here and haven’t looked back since.”
Interestingly, Army and Navy are among 10 Football Bowl Subdivision schools starting a freshman placekicker. More unique is the fact Nichols and Army’s Cole Talley hail from Texas towns located seven miles apart. Talley is from Rockwall and went to Rockwall High while Nichols is from Heath and attended Rockwall-Heath.
“Bijan was a big-time recruit for us. He was committed to another school up north that we play every year so it was a big get for our program,” Niumatalolo said.
Niumatalolo went into August training camp leaning toward starting Osborn, who madeagame-winning field goal against SMU as a sophomore in 2017. While Osborn was beaten out for the placekicking spot, he did earn the kickoff specialist and holder jobs.
“At the end of the day it’s all about winning the game. If my job is holding and handling kickoffs, I’m going to do that the best I can,” Osborn said. “Bijan is a great guy and I’m super happy, super proud of him. I can’t remember the last time a kicker came in off plebe summer and did this well.”
Nichols acknowledged having “some butterflies when the Midshipmen ran out of the tunnel and onto the field prior to the opener. However, the competitive juices began to flow as soon as it was time to go into the game and kick.
“I’d say it was more fun than anything. It was a great experience, a great time,” he said.
“What surprised me was just how calm he was in his first college game. You couldn’t tell if he was nervous,” Osborn said. “It was just like practice out there for him. I was more nervous doing the holding.”
Niumatalolo came away pleased with what he calls the “placekicking operation.” Nichols, Osborn and long snapper Michael Pifer have perfected their timing to the point kicks are being consistently launched in 1.2 seconds.
“It is an operation. There’s not a hold without a snap and there’s not a kick without a hold. It’s all a process and everything has to be spot-on,” Osborn said.
For his part, Nichols knows he has not arrived after just one game and must continue to perform in order to remain the starter.
“Each kick is an opportunity to earn the job again. Just as easily as you win it, you can lose it,” he said. “You have to stay consistent and can’t get complacent.”
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