Determination Allows Colt David to Become LSU’s All-Time Leading Scorer
by Amanda Joseph
LSU Sports Information
Everyone remembers the fake field goal of the South Carolina game last year when placekicker Colt David scored the first touchdown of his career. Quarterback Matt Flynn flipped the ball over his shoulder to David, who ran into the end zone untouched for the score. David became the first LSU player to score a touchdown and kick the extra point since Doug Moreau in 1965.
Those seven points are but a mere fraction of the points this talented placekicker has scored. Since the beginning of the football season, David has been on the verge of breaking the all-time LSU scoring record set by Kevin Faulk in 1998. David surpassed Faulk last week when he scored eight points versus Georgia, increasing his total to 324.
In 2007, David broke a total of five single-season records, and this year he is expected to set even more marks.
As it becomes increasingly difficult for fans to keep track of his broken records, David, on the other hand, has no idea what records he holds.
Colt David 324
Kevin Faulk 318
Dalton Hilliard 302
David Browndyke 292
John Corbello 279
Charles Alexander 254
- LSU’s all-time leader in career points after touchdowns (180) and points by a kicker (324)
- Ranks third in school history in field goals made (46), third in field goals attempted (61) and third in field goal percentage (.754, 46-of-61)
- Broke five LSU single-season records in 2007, including field goals (26), field goal attempts (33) and points by kicking (141)
“I don’t keep track of how many records I hold or are on the verge of breaking,” he said. “I have to do my job and that doesn’t include paying attention to records. My job is to be able to deliver effectively when called upon, that’s how I measure success.”
In 2007, David had one of the most successful seasons an LSU placekicker has ever experienced. The Grapevine, Texas native attributes last year’s success to a specific turning point in his career.
“The turning point for me was when my best friend, Bryan Wells, passed away,” he said. “Ever since then, I have worn his initials on the back of my right cleat. I didn’t have any brothers growing up, but if I did, it would be him. After his death, I thought about how fortunate I am to be in the situation I am here. I push and strive to take advantage of every opportunity and continue to persevere.”
Seizing every opportunity and working hard have been very important to David’s career. In fact, “Endeavor to Persevere” is a motto that he lives by every day. These words were carefully chosen, and David takes these words very seriously. In fact, he wears the words on his wrist as a permanent reminder of the importance to persevere through anything. Believe it or not, this kicking phenomenon considered transferring to another school after his freshmen year.
“I was recruited out of high school by Coach (Les) Miles to attend Oklahoma State,” David explained. “They ended up offering someone else a scholarship. I remember being so disappointed, but something told me to keep trying. I remember using football practice as a way to relieve stress and frustration. I continued to improve and decided to walk on at LSU. They had just won a National Championship and I could not think of a better place to be.
“After my freshmen year (2004), I just didn’t think I would ever have the opportunity to play. I was so unsure of myself, nothing seemed to be working out. We were full of talent, and that caused me to consider other options.”
LSU fans will agree that David made the right decision to stay with LSU.
“After I had made the decision to stay, it was as if my mentality changed,” he said.
Placekicking happens to be one of those positions that relies heavily on a sound mental game.
“Kicking is about 90 percent mental and 10 percent technique,” David said. “Everyone thinks accuracy and distance are achieved through an enormous amount of strength. The truth is, believing in myself proves to go much further.”
One of David’s fondest memories was the huge overtime victory in 2006 against Ole Miss. David’s field goal in the extra period allowed the Tigers to edge the Rebels in a thrilling game. The pressure to make that kick was undoubtedly on his shoulders.
“That kick was so exhilarating, but at the same time I cannot recall a time where I was so nervous,” David said. “The only thing that helped was the sense of reassurance I had before stepping onto the field. I knew that I had made this kick a hundred times. The only difference was the crowd, and I knew they were behind me.”
The win over Ole Miss is a perfect example of how important a kicker’s mentality is to the outcome of a game. A good mentality often takes years to develop. To be in the position that David is in, one would think he has played football all of his life. The truth is, while growing up he played every sport imaginable, except football.
“As a kid, I really fell in love with soccer,” David recalled. “It was a fast-paced game, and that was appealing to me. My nickname was ?Lead Foot’. From a young age, I was able to kick the ball in the goal from half-way across the field.”
He soon realized that his special gift was going to be used in a different way.
“I continued to play soccer throughout middle school, but I remember signing up for the football team just because everyone else was doing it,” he said. “Believe it or not, I started out as an outside linebacker and receiver. I ended up breaking my arm and was demoted to the C team.”
David’s pride was not hurt because he still had soccer. He continued to put all of his energy into soccer until a change of events opened the door to football.
“Our team made the playoffs that year and they needed a kicker,” he explained. “The coaches had heard I was on the soccer team. They knew I could make a soccer ball into a goal, but they wondered if I could make a football through a goal post.”
As it turns out, David was exactly what his high school football team needed, as he was immediately moved back up to the A team and given an opportunity to start at kicker.
Making the transition from soccer to football had its difficulties.
“I ended up quitting soccer because of football,” David said. “They’re two different swings and in order to excel in one, I knew I had to sacrifice the other. I remember spending many hours on a field by myself practicing. I ended up using kicking as a way to relieve stress and pressure.”
Despite the long practice hours and learning a new game, placekicking came relatively easy for David.
“I was surprised at how quick I made the transition,” he said. “Before I knew it, I was kicking distances well past 50 yards. In fact I remember kicking a 70-yarder in practice one day. That is when I realized that I wanted to pursue this position at a collegiate level.”
Pursue is exactly what David has done in his collegiate career, and he is not yet finished. It seems as though every game David sets a new mark, rewriting the LSU record book due to his unbelievable perseverance and work ethic.