Interview: Opportunity Meeting Abilities with Eastside South Carolina K/P Alex Woznick

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

A coaching change can either be good or bad for players on a given team, but for Class of 2016 kicker/punter Alex Woznick that change has made all the differences in the world.

Woznick has been a part of the Eastside High School football team for three years now but not until the 2015 season got going was he really part of the team. The former Eastside coach essentially cut out the third phase of the game meaning punting and kicking was as important for the Eagles football team as having a triple crown threat suited up in helmets and shoulder pads.

New head coach Eagles’ head coach Steve Wilson has infused new life into the football team along with a new offensive scheme. The change has seen the ball moving down field more and more points going up on the board. The change in ideology has brought back the third game of the phase as well bringing Woznick back into the fold.

Until this season Woznick has been an accomplished special teams camp hero with accolades from all over including ones from kicking and punting guru Chris Sailer. Woznick won the 2014 and 2015 FBU Ohio Kickoff Championship, the 2015 FBU Ohio Field Goal Championship, the 2015 FBU Ohio High School MVP honors, and was the Georgia Fall Camp Field Goal Champion. All of the trophies and plaques off the field did not add up to stats on the field but that has changed during Woznick’s senior year. Through eight games, the 5’10”, 150 pound, standout has boomed 39 punts for 1,455 yards carrying a 37 yard per punt average. Woznick is also averaging 65 yards per kickoff getting 27 touchbacks off 40 kicks.

Where most kickers prove their worth is on field goals and the Eagles have cashed in with Woznick. The senior has hit 8-of-12 field goals with a long of 44 and has hit 22-of-24 PATs in his first true year of work.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview I caught up with Alex to find out more about his senior season, his transition from camp honors to on-the-field success, and got a recruiting news update.

Interview

Alex, how is your senior year going for you now that you are able to make contributions to the team?

“I’m very thankful for the new coach, Coach Wilson. The old coach did not put much time into special teams. Seemed that he only had two phases to the game offense and defense. This year I am the only kicker and punter so I am making the most of my chances. I’ve received a lot of exposure this year. This year, on every fourth down if we were not over the 50 I’ll kick it. I’m very thankful to have a new coach allowing me to show off what I can do.”

What did you work on in the offseason to prepare for your senior season?

“I don’t focus on punts as much but did a lot of kicking. I hit the weight room a lot more. I worked on my leg strength and my accuracy. My accuracy is pretty good. I can hit 9- of-10 from 40 yards out. On kickoffs my leg strength is there I just need to work on my flexibility more.”

What camps did you attend during the offseason?

“I attended some (Chris) Sailer Camps and the Top Gun Camp for my second year in a row. I did really well at Top Gun Camp. At the FBU camp I did well there too. In June or July, I went to camp in Dublin, Ohio, where I was the punt champion and kickoff champion at that camp. I was also the MVP specialist of the camp. I went to the Top Gun and came in close to the top. I ended up down to the last three four outside of the players picked as All-Americans. Chris Sailer helped me on my technique a lot. I visited 6-8 college camps as well. I was able to talk to a few colleges then.”

Which college camps did you go to over the summer?

“I went Wofford, Wingate, North Greenville, Charleston Southern, Furman, two Citadel camps. I think there was a couple more but can’t remember now.”

Which camp was your best?

“My best camp was probably the Citadel and Charleston Southern camps. At the Charleston camp I did really well. They had me kick a lot there. They’ve been the most interested in me. Citadel offered another guy but they are still in touch with me.”

What is the longest field goal you hit in a game?

“I hit a 50-yarder but they called a roughing the kicker penalty. They took the penalty and took the points off the board.”

Wow, kind of a thanks for nothing deal, but that is part of the game. What is the longest field goal you hit at a camp?

“I hit a 61-yarder at the Top Gun camp and at the Marysville (Ohio) camp I hit a 60-yarder.”

What are your strengths on the field as a kicker?

“I’m confident. Nothing bothers me in a game situation. My muscle memory is very sound. Even if my nerves are shot everything still goes to plan. I’m very consistent with my swing. I’m learning a lot though. I missed two field goals on my own but the others (two) were blocked.”

What was your best game this season and why was that game your best?

“I’d say my best game was Christ Church Episcopal (Greenville). I only had one kick that was not a touchback but the rest were 9-10 yards into the end zone during the game. I hit two field goals in that game, I hit a 22- and 42-yarder that game. I had three or four punts. One of the punts was snapped from the 47 yard line and I put it on the 2-yard line. I had a 4.6 or 4.7 second hang time.”

What do you do better, field goals or punts?

“I’m better at field goals and kickoffs.”

You just got back from a visit to Charleston Southern, are there any other schools besides them and Citadel showing interest in you right now?

“One college that contacted me has not offered me yet is Tusculum. They’re from Tennessee.”

It’s tough for special team players year after year because timing with different colleges’ needs plus the year a high school player graduates has to line up, but we are coming into the busiest stretch of the recruiting season when offers start going out left and right. Let’s assume that you have several great offers to choose from come National Signing Day, what are some of the things you will look at in college before committing to a school?

“That’s a tough question. It really just depends. Some colleges are really big like USC (South Carolina) or Clemson but sometimes the size or the surrounding area like at Clemson are out in the country, which I like. Charleston Southern is small with a really great student to teacher ratio. I’m not sure there is a perfect college for what I want. Where the college is located will be big for me.”

Are there any college or NFL players you like to watch to see how they go through their movements to pick up tips or pointers?

“Yeah, there are two guys, one in college one in the pros. Chandler Catanzaro was at Clemson and now his is with the Arizona Cardinals. I look up to that guy. Elliot Fry is at USC is another. I’ve worked with him before at Chris Sailer camps. I also like Blair Walsh, he’s the Minnesota Vikings kicker. I follow him on social media.”

Do you play any other sports for Eastside?

“I played soccer. We won state my sophomore year. I got a ring for it. I didn’t get to play last year because I had a broken foot. I will try to play this year, based off my scholarship offers. If I got a big offer I’d sit out.”

What do you want to major in when you go to college?

“I’m undecided right now, maybe physical therapy or computer programing and web design. Right now I’m still trying to think about what I want to do after college.”

Do you have a cumulative GPA you don’t mind sharing?

“I have a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. I try to take honors and AP classes so if I get a B there is no sliding scale and that brings my GPA down.”

Have you taken the ACT or SAT yet and if so did you get a qualifying score?

“I got a qualifying score, in the 20’s but I can’t remember where, but somewhere in the mid-20’s.”

What is your favorite part of playing football?

“This year – I’ve always enjoyed playing football, I started playing my freshman year. But this year I’ve really bonded with my teammates. I’m really enjoying the experience this year. I’m enjoying the games this year because I’m getting to kick more. I’m enjoying the game as a whole. I’m getting closer to my teammates and I’m getting to show off my skills. I love the atmosphere of football games. The atmosphere is not the same feeling as in soccer with the crowd. The crowds are much better for football. Football has my heart now.”

Alex, thanks for your time today and good luck with the recruiting process.

“Thank you.”

Photo credit: chrissailer.com; Alex Woznick kicking at Chris Sailer camps.