Steigerwald makes his pick
When Alex Steigerwald made his official visit to the University of Toledo on Dec. 2, the 5-foot-11, 170-pound kicker from Benedictine High School in Cleveland, Ohio felt comfortable enough on campus to make his verbal commitment to the Rockets before he left campus.
"The atmosphere was a lot like my high school," he said. "The school is really close and you don't have to go far for your classes."
Advertisement
The coaching staff and the opportunity for early playing time also contributed to his decision.
"The head coach knows a lot about the kicking game so he knows that if you miss a kick you just have to refocus," he said. "I'll come in and be their starter as a freshman because their guy is graduating."
Steigerwald, a two-year starter, converted on 19-of-21 field goal opportunities, with a career long of 47-yards, and he hit on 80-of-84 extra point chances. He also averaged 42.9 yards per punt attempt.
"I think the mental part of kicking is my strength," he said. "They've tried to ice me several times and every time they tried I made every one of the kicks."