Jon Striefsky played for the University of Delaware Blue Hens. He was the starting kicker and is currently working out at a kicking camp to prepare for the NFL draft.
Q. Most kids aspire to play quarterback or running back. When did you know you wanted to be a kicker?
I don’t know if anyone grows up initially wanting to be a place kicker but I think as time goes by people gain a greater understanding about what their talents really are. Football in my town is king and most people can be found at North Penn games on Friday nights in the fall. I never really liked football growing up and I was already a three sport athlete. However, during the summer of my sophomore year I decided that I wanted to be part of it all and decided to learn to kick. I didn’t have much of a football frame at 6’ 165lbs or blazing speed so I figured QB and RB were out of the question.
That summer, I spent days playing baseball and nights out on the football field kicking balls with my family. At the time, I didn’t have one of the personal stands so my dad was my holder and both my mom and sister would shag balls. I think I kicked his fingers at least 100 times that summer and also found out that my sister throws a better spiral than me. I’ll never forget using the cap from a detergent bottle for a kickoff tee until I decided that I was good enough to buy a real one to practice with.
In the fall, I won the starting placement job and my high school team won the state championship with a 15-0 record. It was during that year that I realized my love for football, the spotlight of kicking and the overall atmosphere of big crowds and rowdy fans. From that season on, I’ve tried to embrace the position but also show my teammates and coaches that being a kicker doesn’t mean you’re not an athlete or hard worker in the weight room.
Q:Are you planning on pursuing a career in the NFL after you graduate or is there another career path you might take?
I am currently pursuing an NFL career with complete focus and believe that I have what it takes to be a pro. I spent the last two months living and training full time in Modesto, California with well respected kicking coach, Paul Assad. The work has certainly paid off both from a kicking and physical standpoint. However, I must say that my journey to be an NFL kicker started far before the last few months and I feel that it was the work I put in over the past few years that will be what pays dividends.
I recently attended Gary Zauner’s draft eligible combine in Phoenix, Arizona and finished in his "Group 1" classification which he describes as the “Specialists I [Zauner] believe currently have the skills and talent to be in an NFL, CFL or UFL training camp and compete for a roster spot.”
Q. Are there any rituals you go through before each game?
I don’t think I do anything that is out of the ordinary or special on game day because I try to treat every day of practice with the same mindset I follow on Saturdays. I have a game day mix on my iPod though that I rock in order to get amped up about an hour before the team heads out to the field.
This year, my strength coach, Jason Baileau, had me come into the weight room on game day mornings to get a light lift and stretch in to “wake up” my muscles. It was something I found to be very helpful and it was just another thing I can thank him for over the course of my career.
Q. Can you describe the atmosphere playing at Delaware Stadium?
Talk about a place to play! There isn’t a better place to strap it up in 1AA and I’m positive the atmosphere can compete with a lot of the FBS. I will never forget the first time I ran out of the tunnel my freshman year and I still get the chills when I think of "Hells Bells" playing over the stereo system. Everyone around you is going crazy and when I sit back and reflect, there is no better feeling. Getting hyped up for a game with the guys you sweat and bled with over the previous nine months while knowing inside your head that you did everything you could to be prepared for that given Saturday is one of the great aspects of football. I can honestly say that Delaware is a place where its fans care as much about the team as the players. You can always count on 23,000 people filling The Tub for home games regardless of weather or record.
As a former walk-on player, I always considered it a privilege to step on that field and did my best both on and off of it to never take the opportunity for granted.
Q. What is your favorite memory playing for Blue Hens?
It’s difficult to choose just one. My career was full of so many memorable moments, people and experiences that it would be near impossible to choose. Kicking at the Uni-Dome in Northern Iowa and hitting 2 second half field goals from 47 and 46 yards ranks up near the top though. That entire playoff run in 2007 was something I will always remember. Getting to play on ESPN four times in one season while lacing it up with a current NFL starting QB (Joe Flacco) are things that most people can only dream of doing.
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