Sports in Seconds: Former teammate kicks for keeps in NFL

Suisham has finally secured a spot on a NFL roster.

Last year I wrote an article on my former high school football teammate and Wallaceburg native, Shaun Suisham, who was at the time filling in for the injured kicker of the National Football League's (NFL) Dallas Cowboys.

Suisham played three games in total for the Cowboys in 2005, going 3 for 4 in field goal attempts and a perfect 8 for 8 in extra points.

During the off-season the Cowboys re-signed Suisham but also signed free-agent kicker, and fellow Canadian, Mike Vanderjagt to a multi-year deal in hopes of solving their teams kicking woes.

As Vanderjagt struggled in the pre-season with inconsistency and injuries, Suisham was handed the starting job for the Cowboys opening game against Jacksonville. However, Suisham hit the upright on one of his two kicks, and was later cut on October 12 by the team when Vanderjagt was back to 100 per cent.

After a short stint on the San Francisco 49ers practice squad, Suisham was signed to the Washington Redskins practice squad on November 28, after their starting kicker John Hall went down with a season ending injury, and Hall's replacement Nick Novak proved to be unreliable.

Having followed Suisham's career through high school, college, and the pro's I always said that all he needed was for a team to give him a chance to prove that he is NFL material.

That is exactly what Washington did. Impressed with the length of his kickoffs and faced with an inevitable losing record with five games remaining, the Redskins gave Suisham a shot to claim the starting job by handing him the kicking duties for the remainder of the season.

After missing his first field goal as a Redskin in week 13 versus Atlanta, a desperate 50-yard attempt, Suisham was perfect thereafter.

In the absolute best game of his young career, Suisham nailed four field goals in four attempts in week 14 versus Philadelphia, including a then career best 45-yard make.

After a flawless week in New Orleans, where Suisham hit three more field goals, the Canadian kicker turned some heads around the NFL when he booted an incredible 52-yard field goal against the St. Louis Rams.

After doing everything that a NFL kicker should do; make routine field goals between 20 and 40 yards, consistently place kickoffs deep into the opponents end-zone, and provide a potential weapon for long field goals of 50 yards or more, Suisham should have established himself as a lock for the starting job next season for the Redskins.

As I stated last year, I am filled with an enormous sense of pride as I watch Suisham start his budding career. Being a small-town kid from Canada, Suisham's journey to the NFL can give hope to many other young Canadian athletes, that through hard work and determination their dreams can be realized as well.