All Things Kicking: NDSU’s Jake Reinholz

Names Missouri Valley's special teams player of the week after three made field goals against UND

FARGO, N.D. — Jake Reinholz doesn’t remember the last time having to kick three fields in one game.

“Not since I’ve been here. As long as I can remember,” Reinholz said. I don’t remember having any in high school either. Having three field goals, I was just very fortunate to get those opportunities and help my team out.

Those three made field goals accounted for 9 of the Bison’s 16 points in the win over North Dakota on Saturday earning Reinholz Missouri Valley Special Teams Player of the Week for being clutch in the big moments..

“As soon as the offense crosses the midline there, I just start loosing up. Start hitting some kicks,” Reinholz said. “Try to envision success the best way I can and then when they call my number, I just go out and execute.”

Reinholz is a senior and since that first extra point  freshman year has gone 42 of 42 making the point after.

“Our goal every year is to be automatic. Be 100 percent. That’s the mindset,” Reinholz said. “We try some different things. Some different looks out of the point after. At the end of the day, as long as we scoring a point after a touchdown. That’s important to us.”

Reinholz started a trend of division one kickers going to Shanley. Along with him going to NDSU, Emmett Kenney is kicking in the PAC-12 for Stanford and making his first start.

“I was just a trend of soccer players having the opportunity where the football team was very accepting of us making the jump over,” Reinholz said. “We’ve just had a lot of success there. Emmett is a really good one and wish him the best at Stanford.”

For the brand Pat McAfee, former NFL punter, has brought much more attention to the specialist positions. Known for his energetic, crazy fun demeanor is something Reinholz says holds true of most who kick or punt.

“It’s kind of a known characteristic among specialists that were a little bit weird. Not like the rest of the football team,” Reinholz said. “Big and meaty. We just go out there and do our own thing. People call us the goldfish at practice just because they’re always walking by and working hard while we’re just sitting on the bench doing other things.”

How long will the extra point streak go? A possibly 10 more games left to find out.