Folk embraces pressure of kicking for Jets
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Nick Folk was the hero of the Jets' last-second win over the Colts last Saturday night with his 32-yard game-winning field goal as time ran out. It was easily the biggest moment of the kicker's four-year career, and yet another affirmation of the difficult choice he made in 2002.
This was early February, and Folk had to decide between playing soccer or football. Folk's first love was soccer, and he dreamed of playing in the World Cup while starring as a forward at Notre Dame High School in Los Angeles. But he also knew the odds of making it big at the professional level weren't quite as good as football.
So when Arizona football coach John Mackovic called and pressed for an answer, Folk made his choice. "I was one day away from going to college to play soccer," he said Thursday. "I went to Arizona on my visit, and I had offers for football and soccer. Coach Mackovic said at the time, 'I need to know today or in the next couple of days.' It was coming down to the end of recruiting. So I took a little time that day and committed . . . to play football."
Folk was taken in the sixth round of the 2007 draft by the Cowboys, but accuracy and injury problems led to his release after the 2009 season. The Jets signed him as a replacement for Jay Feely, and Folk got off to a torrid start, making 17 of his first 19 field-goal attempts. But after missing three of his five attempts against the Browns Nov. 14, the Jets brought in Kris Brown for a tryout.
They wound up sticking with Folk, and he has been exceptional since. Folk has made 13 of his last 16 attempts, including Saturday night's winner.
The kick earned him a spot on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," where he performed a skit by holding up a box of Kix cereal. But Folk is all business now as he prepares for Sunday's game.
"You just have to be confident and go out there," he said. "You have to embrace the pressure that comes with the job. I've done it my whole life. I've enjoyed these situations."
He knows the stakes will go up, especially in a stadium where weather can come into play. "You can't simulate how it's going to be, so you just go out and kick in the elements here and prepare for it," he said. "Whatever happens, you have to be ready for it."
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