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A lifelong Nebraska fan, Kelen Meyer always dreamed about playing for the Huskers.
Growing up watching kickers such as Alex Henery and Brett Maher pushed Meyer to try kicking, and he quickly picked up the tools of the trade. A stellar career at Ord High School included a 69 for 70 performance on extra points and the school’s first-ever state title this season.
An exciting stretch for Meyer continued Oct. 5, when he received an offer to walk on at Nebraska.
Meyer already had a few Division II scholarship offers, but it didn’t take him long to decide. In less than a week, he committed to play at Nebraska.
“I really hoped it would happen someday because I’d been wanting it for a long time, and I was just really excited when it happened,†Meyer said.
Meyer credits much of his development to the many kicking camps he’s attended over the past few years, citing the high level of competition at those camps as helping in elevating his own skills.
He’s had the opportunity to work with ex-NFL kickers, including a former fellow in-state Husker walk-on in Henery. As a chief instructor for Midwest Kicking, Henery has worked with Meyer at multiple camps to help the future Husker improve.
“He’s really good at giving advice; I go to all his camps and sometimes he’ll message me to give me stuff to work on. He’s been a really great help,†Meyer said.
Meyer is hopeful that he’ll eventually see time as Nebraska's kicker, and he can look to examples such as Henery for inspiration. Over the past 10-plus years, Nebraska has repeatedly relied on walk-on kickers to man the starting role, with the exception of Drew Brown’s 2014-17 career as a scholarship player.
Henery walked onto the team in 2006 before taking over the starting job from 2007-10 and earning a scholarship midway through his Husker career.
Maher had to wait for Henery to graduate before he could become Nebraska’s starting kicker, but the Kearney native played in 2011 and earned a scholarship for his senior season in 2012.
The Husker kicking group was again led by a walk-on in 2013 (Pat Smith), and the 2019 season featured a rotation of walk-ons when scholarship kicker Barret Pickering appeared in only three games. Lincoln Southwest product Dylan Jorgensen became the first true freshman walk-on to start a season opener since Andy Janovich in 2012, and club soccer player Matt Waldoch also joined the team later in the year.
“That’s another great thing about coming to Nebraska is knowing that I have that opportunity,†Meyer said.
Meyer is looking forward to joining Nebraska’s kicking room, where he can learn from and compete with his teammates. One factor in Meyer’s favor is his powerful kicking ability, seen by the Class C-2 record 58-yard field goal he kicked in a win over Central City earlier this year.
Meyer routinely attempted field goals around the 50-yard mark at the high school level, and his confidence hardly wavers when trying long kicks.
“I’m fine anywhere, really, if we need one, I can go in there anywhere under 60 (yards),†he said.
As a talented multisport athlete, Meyer has qualified for the state wrestling tournament three times, in addition to forays into golf and baseball. However, he’s known for a long time what sporting activity he’s best at, and it’s kicking on the gridiron.
Now a state football champion, Meyer is ready to arrive in Lincoln and realize the hopes and dreams he’s held for over a decade.
“It’s still just unbelievable to me because it’s just a dream come true,†he said.
Nebraska's 2021 walk-ons
Derek Branch, DB, 5-11, 175, Lincoln Southeast
Alex Bullock, WR, 6-2, 190, Creighton Prep
Blake Closman, DB, 5-10, 190, Millard North
Sam Hoskinson, OL, 6-0, 245, Elkhorn South
Kelen Meyer, PK, 6-3, 190, Ord
Evan Meyersick, TE, 6-5, 185, Millard West
Weston Reiman, OL, 6-2, 290, Weeping Water
Beau Schaller, OL, 6-2, 265, Waukee, Iowa
Matthew Schuster, RB, 5-9, 170, Ashland-Greenwood
Jarrett Synek, QB, 6-0, 190, Hastings
Payton Weehler, DB, 6-3, 190, Blockton, Iowa (Mt. Ayr)
Aiden Young, RB, 5-9, 175, Elkhorn