Michiko Araki
It’s do or die. It’s the last 20 seconds of the fourth quarter, and the Lions are down 26-29. Despite the best efforts of the team, the ball hasn’t moved much from its starting point, leaving you to attempt a 56 yard field goal – one which has never been accomplished by you or anyone in BC Lions history. Set against the backdrop of loud, cheering fans at BC Place against a Roughriders team that includes previous Lions kicker and fan favourite Paul McCallum, the pressure is on, and it’s feeling heavy for rookie kicker/punter Richie Leone.
Despite all of these things, Richie made the kick look effortless last week in the Lions’ thrilling 35-32 overtime win against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Although it was his first home game at BC Place, Richie looked as comfortable as any of the vets out there on the field.
“I was just telling myself to take advantage of the moment and put a good foot to it and swing through. Just a couple of mechanical things,” says Richie, remembering how he felt leading up to the kick. “[Afterwards,] I looked up and Jon Jennings said quickly, ‘OH! It’s in!’ and I was like no, it’s not in until the [referee’s] hands go up! So I was waiting for that – and man, that was an exciting moment!”
It definitely was a very special moment for Richie, who cites 42 yards as the longest field goal he made in college – far below the 56 yards he hit that night to force the game into overtime. That kick broke the BC Lions all-time longest field goal record initially set at 54 yards by the legendary Lui Passaglia in 1991.
“Having the kickers that played here in Lui and Paul, guys like that, to be mentioned with them as far as long kicks, that’s really neat. I got a long way to go – you’ve got to have a long career to accomplish what they have. It’s humbling, it’s a lot of things. I was just thankful to make that kick and even have an opportunity to make a kick like that. It was a moment that I’m sure I’ll remember for a while, and hopefully we’ll get a longer one sometime soon,” he says with a smile.
Richie, who not only has to win over the trust of teammates but also the hearts of fans this season after replacing long time veteran Paul McCallum, knows what’s up ahead. He has big shoes to fill, but he’s up for the challenge and excited for the opportunity to make an impact so early on in his career.
“There’s definitely a big role to be filled there. [Paul] has given me some good guidance along the way. There’s a lot of respect to be earned, a lot of trust to earn on this team. Hopefully I can be here as long as he has.”
Slowly but surely, Richie is starting to gain the respect of fellow teammates and the admiration of BC Lions fans, one kick at a time.