When Will Stein held his first official team meeting at Kentucky, he unveiled the program’s four DNA-traits. The first one is connection, and it’s clearly been a top priority since Stein’s arrival.
Communication between players on the football field has always been paramount. Away from the field, roster turnover via the transfer portal has made connection an even greater challenge for college football coaches. When chatting with Kentucky football players, it’s clear that Stein achieved that goal ahead of the start of fall camp.
“I think Coach Stein has really made a connectivity and a brotherhood throughout summer and spring that I haven’t really been a part of,” kicker Jacob Kauwe told KSR. “This team feels more like a cohesive team than I’ve really seen. You’ve got a lot of guys who are going to go out there and lay it all out on the line for the guy next to them.”
Kickers don’t really put their bodies in the line of fire. In fact, at most schools, the special teams unit’s practice is almost entirely separate from the rest of the team. That has not been the case for Stein. This group feels a part of the group.
Some of that was accomplished through small group sessions on Wednesday evenings throughout the offseason. Those formal settings can accomplish quite a bit, but the informal settings might be more important. The specialists established a weekly tradition that has brought the group together.
“As a specialist group, we go to Costco on Thursdays to go get hot dogs. That deal — you can get two for three bucks?”
Nothing builds brotherhood better than cheap hot dogs.
How Kauwe Kicks Under Pressure at Kentucky
Jacob Kauwe did not kick a football until he was in eighth grade. The righty with a big leg caught the eyes of the former Kentucky coaching staff when he shared clips of bombs from 65 yards. The altitude may have done him a few favors, but the Montana cold didn’t help him in -15 degree weather, the coldest game he’s ever played.
After redshirting in 2024, he emerged as the Kentucky starting kicker last year and hit 13-17 field goal attempts. Only one of those misses was inside of 50 yards. He set a career-high with a 51-yarder against Eastern Michigan.
The strength of his leg captured our attention, but that’s not what’s most important. He must remain cool and calm in pressure-packed situations to deliver an accurate kick.
“You gotta put yourself in the mindset that it’s the same kick you’ve hit a million times,” he shared with KSR. “It’s so loud that there’s almost no noise. You’re on an island out there. It’s just you, your holder, and your snapper that you’ve worked with so much, that you trust so much. It’s just a unit and process that just happens. There’s not a lot of thinking.”
It’s like shooting a free throw. Every kick has a routine. Kauwe’s starts by picking the holder’s spot. He then lines it up with his hand, takes four steps back, lines it up again, takes two steps to the side, clicks his heels, then nods to the holder that it’s go-time.
“The less time you think about it, the better,” he said. “It’s just a process you’ve done a million times. It’s the same thing.”
Enjoy a delightful conversation with Jacob Kauwe that ranged from hot dogs and cold weather to Yellowstone.