The Hawaii kicker from Down Under knows mistiming can lead to being down under.
During his surfing outings on Oahu’s South Shore, Australia-reared Ryan Meskell seeks the perfect balance on his longboard.
“Not too far up on the board and not too far back,” Meskell said of his foot placement. “If you find the sweet spot, you’re not going over the top and you’re not falling off the back.”
And if he does not have the proper footing and the wave is monstrous, Meskell said, “you get smashed. I’ve been smashed a few times. It’s all about finding the sweet spot.”
The surfboard has become a place-kicking metaphor for Meskell, who is preparing for his third — and final — UH season. Finding the sweet spot was the difference between Meskell’s erratic first year as a UH kicker and his 83.3 percent accuracy on field-goal attempts in 2018. With a powerful right leg and new-found marksmanship, Meskell is being counted on for field-goal attempts up to 53 yards this coming season.
It is an impressive transformation for Meskell, who grew up competing in rugby, soccer, cricket, skateboarding — anything that did not include an American football.
“The sports we played (in Australia) involved kicking,” Meskell said. “We don’t really play baseball or American football, where you’re throwing the ball. Kicking is just the natural thing to do. When you’re a kid, you learn how to kick. Here, you play catch with your father. In Australia, we kick the ball to each other.”
After two years as a soccer goalkeeper for Lewis & Clark Community College, Meskell returned to Australia. David Lerner, a neighbor who played in the NFL, asked him try kicking a football. Meskell did well enough that he was placed in contact with ProKick Australia, which trains punters and kickers. Soon after, UH offered a scholarship even though Meskell had yet to kick in a football game.
Unlike trying to line-drive a soccer ball, Meskell learned that field-goal kickers require a style that would provide a higher arc on kicks. “You need to get it in the air,” Meskell said. He also had to learn how to judge a kick’s potential while kicking into a net while warming up during games.
He missed three of four attempts before being designated as the kickoff specialist for the rest of 2017 season. Last year, he connected on 15 of 18.
Meskell has found balance off the field. Last semester, he was an intern at a television station. He frequents several coffee shops in town. And he surfs with quarterback Cole McDonald.
“I never thought I’d be in Hawaii,” Meskell said. “Hawaii was always a place, to me, like paradise, which it is. When I was in Australia, I thought if I ever went to Hawaii, it would be the cherry on the cake. But to live here and play football here, it’s never something I could have imagined.”
LONG-SNAPPER
No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
44 Wyatt Tucker 5-10 205 So. Chino Hills, Calif.
7 Dayton Furuta 5-11 250 Sr. Mililani
97 Zach Ritner 6-3 240 Fr. Mission Viejo, Calif.
PLACE-KICKERS
No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
17 Ryan Meskell 6-0 185 Sr. Gold Coast, Australia
52 Michael Boyle 6-1 175 Fr. Washougal, Wash.
PUNTERS
No. Player Ht. Wt. CL. hometown
9 Stan Gaudion 6-3 210 Jr. Melbourne, Australia
36 Ben Scruton 6-1 200 Sr. Melbourne, Australia
RETURNERS
No. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
6 Cedric Byrd 5-9 175 Sr. Los Angeles
10 Melquise Stovall 5-9 190 Jr. Lancaster, Calif.
14 James Phillips 5-9 155 So. Menifee, Calif.
11 Justice Augafa 5-11 210 Sr. Anchorage
Quote:
I skateboarded until I fell off and cracked my head open and (hurt) my knee. My mom told me if you keep skateboarding,
you’re going to hurt yourself or break your leg. She didn’t make me stop. She just planted the seed.”
Ryan Meskell
Place-kicker, on why he focused on ball-oriented sports
SCOUTING REPORT
For only the second time in the past 15 years, the long-snapper will not have the surname Ingram or Borden. Wyatt Tucker spent every practice snapping, as well as hitting the blocking sled. Last year, Noah Borden had no snapping errors — and no tackles. Stan Gaudion and Ben Scruton are a righty-lefty combo that boom punts behind the shield or on rollouts. Their repertoire also includes bouncers and skyballs. Ryan Meskell has boosted his range to up to 53 yards. He also is ready to serve as mentor to freshman walk-on Harry Hill.
