By Craig Morgan, thesundevils.com Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Thomas Weber remembers how much focus, confidence, execution and trust he needed to put together one award-winning season for the Sun Devils football team. He marvels at the consistency Zane Gonzalez has exhibited for most of his Arizona State career.
"He's having an incredible season on top of a great career," said Weber, who kicked at ASU from 2007-2010. "He's become a real asset for that team."
Gonzalez's assault on school, Pac-12 and NCAA records has had a feel of inevitability to it since the season began. He has made 13 of 14 field goal attempts with his lone miss coming from 53 yards on Sept. 15 at Texas San Antonio, putting him at 86 made field goals in his career.
He already broke the school (Luis Zendejas, 81) and Pac-12 (Kai Forbath, UCLA, 85) records for field goals in a career. With just three more, he will break Dustin Hopkins' NCAA career field goals record of 88, set at Florida State from 2009-12. He is also 20 points shy of breaking Hopkins' career points record by a kicker (466), and he has a chance to break the FBS career scoring record for all positions (530), set by Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds (2012-15).
"I try not to focus on it but it's kind of hard not to be aware due to social media," he said. "It would definitely mean something to get the NCAA record. It would give me a legacy to leave at ASU, doing something nobody else has done."
If Gonzalez keeps up this pace, he also has an excellent chance of accomplishing something only one other kicker at ASU has accomplished: win the Lou Groza Award winner as the nation's best kicker. Weber was ASU's other winner in 2007. If Gonzalez joins him, ASU would be just the fourth program with at least two Groza awards, joining Florida St. (4), Tulane (2) and UCLA (2).
Gonzalez will have some good competition. Auburn junior Daniel Carlson was a 2015 semifinalist and Minnesota's Emmit Carpenter is a perfect 9 for 9 heading into this weekend, although he has not attempted a field goal of 50-plus yards. Still, when you shatter multiple records in a season, it tends to get noticed by those handing out the hardware -- and those looking for help at the next level in the NFL.
"His numbers will justify interest and probably an invite to the (NFL Scouting) Combine," said former NFL kicker and Arizona Cardinal Jay Feely, who works for CBS as an NFL and college football analyst. "Once he gets there, it's up to him."
Gonzalez helped himself in that regard by hitting the weight room hard the last two seasons. As a high school soccer player, he said he never really lifted weights until he got to ASU, and he never noticed a significant increase in his leg strength before his junior season.
Now he's kicking balls higher and deeper. Before this season, Gonzalez hadn't made a field goal over 50 yards but now he has three -- two from 54 yards and one from 53. Carlson has two and no other kicker in the nation has more than one.
Gonzalez has also become a master of the touchback -- a weapon NFL scouts will surely notice. He even rang one off the crossbar against Cal on Sept. 24 at Sun Devil Stadium, igniting the student section and drawing a smile from the senior.
"It's been a lot of fun, but I'm trying to stay focused," Gonzalez said. "I'm trying to make my family proud."
Chief among those are his deceased grandmother, whom he honors by crossing his chest before every attempt in Catholic tradition, and his dad, Joseph, whom he calls his role model for manhood.
"We had a bumpy childhood for the most part with my mom leaving when I was in fifth grade, and my dad getting laid off," said Gonzalez, who lived for a time with his dad, his brother, Zach, and his sister, Skylar, in his grandmother's one-bedroom apartment in Deer Park, Texas. "Basically, my dad was doing whatever he could get his hands on to put a roof over our heads. Some of the stuff that he's been through, some of the stuff he's done to help us out is incredible.
"He had to sacrifice so much, waking up at 5 a.m. and going to sleep at 11 to make sure we all had lunches for school, making sure he made us breakfast, making sure he made us dinner every night, which he still does. He set the standard as high as it can be. I want to be as good a dad as he was to me and if I can do that I'll be blessed."
Joseph Gonzalez saw Zane play against Texas Tech and Texas San Antonio, but Zane said he would likely miss his son's record-breaking performance since his next scheduled visit is not until the Utah game on Nov. 10.
"He's actually working his 14th straight day of 12-hour shifts," Gonzalez said Tuesday of Joseph, who works for Dow Chemical in Pasadena, Texas. "Sometimes, he'll go for 30 straight days like that but he still texts me every morning and every night.
"He's always checking how I'm doing, how my finances are, how I am health-wise. He knows I don't like to talk football anyway so we'll worry about that when he comes back for Senior Night. He was always there for me and he still is."
With so much uncertainty in the college kicking game, coach Todd Graham said he is blessed to have Gonzalez there for him and the team.
"Guys like Zane don't come along too often," Graham said. "He is the best I have ever coached."
Follow Craig Morgan on Twitter
NCAA career field goals made
1. Dustin Hopkins, Florida State (2009-12) 88
2. Billy Bennett, Georgia (2000-03) 87
3. Zane Gonzalez, ASU (2013-16) 86
4. Kai Forbath, UCLA (2007-10) 85
5. Leigh Tiffin, Alabama (2006-09) 83
Note: UCLA's John Lee also made 85 field goals, but the NCAA did not recognize bowl game stats when he played (1982-85).
NCAA career points by kicker
1. Dustin Hopkins, Florida State (2009-12) 466
2. Aaron Jones, Baylor (2010-13) 451
2. Jaden Oberkrom, TCU (2012-15) 451
4. Zane Gonzalez, ASU (2013-16) 447
5. Mike Hunnicutt, Oklahoma (2011-14) 444
NCAA career points, all positions
1. Keenan Reynolds, Navy (2012-2015) 528
2. Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech (2012-2015) 522
3. Montee Ball, Wisconsin, (2009-2012) 498
4. Travis Prentice, Miami, Ohio (1996-1999) 468
5. Dustin Hopkins, Florida State (2009-2012) 466
6. Aaron Jones, 2010 2013 Baylor 451
7. Ricky Williams, Texas (1995-1998) 450
8. Zane Gonzalez, Arizona State (2013-2016) 447
9. Kyle Brotzman, Boise State (2007-2010) 439
10. Art Carmody, Louisville (2004-2007) 433
Lou Groza Award winners
Year Winner School
1992 Joe Allison Memphis
1993 Judd Davis Florida
1994 Steve McLaughlin Arizona
1995 Michael Reeder TCU
1996 Marc Primanti NC State
1997 Martín Gramática Kansas State
1998 Sebastian Janikowski Florida State
1999 Sebastian Janikowski Florida State
2000 Jonathan Ruffin Cincinnati
2001 Seth Marler Tulane
2002 Nate Kaeding Iowa
2003 Jonathan Nichols Ole Miss
2004 Mike Nugent Ohio State
2005 Alexis Serna Oregon State
2006 Art Carmody Louisville
2007 Thomas Weber Arizona State
2008 Graham Gano Florida State
2009 Kai Forbath UCLA
2010 Dan Bailey Oklahoma State
2011 Randy Bullock Texas A&M
2012 Cairo Santos Tulane
2013 Roberto Aguayo Florida State
2014 Brad Craddock Maryland
2015 Ka'imi Fairbairn UCLA
Trophies won by school
School Winners
Florida St. 4
Tulane 2
UCLA 2
Arizona St. 1
Arizona 1
Cincinnati 1
Florida 1
Iowa 1
Kansas St. 1
Louisville 1
Maryland 1
Memphis 1
NC St. 1
Ohio St. 1
Okla. St. 1
Ole Miss 1
Oregon St. 1
TCU 1
Texas A&M 1
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Thomas Weber remembers how much focus, confidence, execution and trust he needed to put together one award-winning season for the Sun Devils football team. He marvels at the consistency Zane Gonzalez has exhibited for most of his Arizona State career.
"He's having an incredible season on top of a great career," said Weber, who kicked at ASU from 2007-2010. "He's become a real asset for that team."
Gonzalez's assault on school, Pac-12 and NCAA records has had a feel of inevitability to it since the season began. He has made 13 of 14 field goal attempts with his lone miss coming from 53 yards on Sept. 15 at Texas San Antonio, putting him at 86 made field goals in his career.
He already broke the school (Luis Zendejas, 81) and Pac-12 (Kai Forbath, UCLA, 85) records for field goals in a career. With just three more, he will break Dustin Hopkins' NCAA career field goals record of 88, set at Florida State from 2009-12. He is also 20 points shy of breaking Hopkins' career points record by a kicker (466), and he has a chance to break the FBS career scoring record for all positions (530), set by Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds (2012-15).
"I try not to focus on it but it's kind of hard not to be aware due to social media," he said. "It would definitely mean something to get the NCAA record. It would give me a legacy to leave at ASU, doing something nobody else has done."
If Gonzalez keeps up this pace, he also has an excellent chance of accomplishing something only one other kicker at ASU has accomplished: win the Lou Groza Award winner as the nation's best kicker. Weber was ASU's other winner in 2007. If Gonzalez joins him, ASU would be just the fourth program with at least two Groza awards, joining Florida St. (4), Tulane (2) and UCLA (2).
Gonzalez will have some good competition. Auburn junior Daniel Carlson was a 2015 semifinalist and Minnesota's Emmit Carpenter is a perfect 9 for 9 heading into this weekend, although he has not attempted a field goal of 50-plus yards. Still, when you shatter multiple records in a season, it tends to get noticed by those handing out the hardware -- and those looking for help at the next level in the NFL.
"His numbers will justify interest and probably an invite to the (NFL Scouting) Combine," said former NFL kicker and Arizona Cardinal Jay Feely, who works for CBS as an NFL and college football analyst. "Once he gets there, it's up to him."
Gonzalez helped himself in that regard by hitting the weight room hard the last two seasons. As a high school soccer player, he said he never really lifted weights until he got to ASU, and he never noticed a significant increase in his leg strength before his junior season.
Now he's kicking balls higher and deeper. Before this season, Gonzalez hadn't made a field goal over 50 yards but now he has three -- two from 54 yards and one from 53. Carlson has two and no other kicker in the nation has more than one.
Gonzalez has also become a master of the touchback -- a weapon NFL scouts will surely notice. He even rang one off the crossbar against Cal on Sept. 24 at Sun Devil Stadium, igniting the student section and drawing a smile from the senior.
"It's been a lot of fun, but I'm trying to stay focused," Gonzalez said. "I'm trying to make my family proud."
Chief among those are his deceased grandmother, whom he honors by crossing his chest before every attempt in Catholic tradition, and his dad, Joseph, whom he calls his role model for manhood.
"We had a bumpy childhood for the most part with my mom leaving when I was in fifth grade, and my dad getting laid off," said Gonzalez, who lived for a time with his dad, his brother, Zach, and his sister, Skylar, in his grandmother's one-bedroom apartment in Deer Park, Texas. "Basically, my dad was doing whatever he could get his hands on to put a roof over our heads. Some of the stuff that he's been through, some of the stuff he's done to help us out is incredible.
"He had to sacrifice so much, waking up at 5 a.m. and going to sleep at 11 to make sure we all had lunches for school, making sure he made us breakfast, making sure he made us dinner every night, which he still does. He set the standard as high as it can be. I want to be as good a dad as he was to me and if I can do that I'll be blessed."
Joseph Gonzalez saw Zane play against Texas Tech and Texas San Antonio, but Zane said he would likely miss his son's record-breaking performance since his next scheduled visit is not until the Utah game on Nov. 10.
"He's actually working his 14th straight day of 12-hour shifts," Gonzalez said Tuesday of Joseph, who works for Dow Chemical in Pasadena, Texas. "Sometimes, he'll go for 30 straight days like that but he still texts me every morning and every night.
"He's always checking how I'm doing, how my finances are, how I am health-wise. He knows I don't like to talk football anyway so we'll worry about that when he comes back for Senior Night. He was always there for me and he still is."
With so much uncertainty in the college kicking game, coach Todd Graham said he is blessed to have Gonzalez there for him and the team.
"Guys like Zane don't come along too often," Graham said. "He is the best I have ever coached."
Follow Craig Morgan on Twitter
NCAA career field goals made
1. Dustin Hopkins, Florida State (2009-12) 88
2. Billy Bennett, Georgia (2000-03) 87
3. Zane Gonzalez, ASU (2013-16) 86
4. Kai Forbath, UCLA (2007-10) 85
5. Leigh Tiffin, Alabama (2006-09) 83
Note: UCLA's John Lee also made 85 field goals, but the NCAA did not recognize bowl game stats when he played (1982-85).
NCAA career points by kicker
1. Dustin Hopkins, Florida State (2009-12) 466
2. Aaron Jones, Baylor (2010-13) 451
2. Jaden Oberkrom, TCU (2012-15) 451
4. Zane Gonzalez, ASU (2013-16) 447
5. Mike Hunnicutt, Oklahoma (2011-14) 444
NCAA career points, all positions
1. Keenan Reynolds, Navy (2012-2015) 528
2. Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech (2012-2015) 522
3. Montee Ball, Wisconsin, (2009-2012) 498
4. Travis Prentice, Miami, Ohio (1996-1999) 468
5. Dustin Hopkins, Florida State (2009-2012) 466
6. Aaron Jones, 2010 2013 Baylor 451
7. Ricky Williams, Texas (1995-1998) 450
8. Zane Gonzalez, Arizona State (2013-2016) 447
9. Kyle Brotzman, Boise State (2007-2010) 439
10. Art Carmody, Louisville (2004-2007) 433
Lou Groza Award winners
Year Winner School
1992 Joe Allison Memphis
1993 Judd Davis Florida
1994 Steve McLaughlin Arizona
1995 Michael Reeder TCU
1996 Marc Primanti NC State
1997 Martín Gramática Kansas State
1998 Sebastian Janikowski Florida State
1999 Sebastian Janikowski Florida State
2000 Jonathan Ruffin Cincinnati
2001 Seth Marler Tulane
2002 Nate Kaeding Iowa
2003 Jonathan Nichols Ole Miss
2004 Mike Nugent Ohio State
2005 Alexis Serna Oregon State
2006 Art Carmody Louisville
2007 Thomas Weber Arizona State
2008 Graham Gano Florida State
2009 Kai Forbath UCLA
2010 Dan Bailey Oklahoma State
2011 Randy Bullock Texas A&M
2012 Cairo Santos Tulane
2013 Roberto Aguayo Florida State
2014 Brad Craddock Maryland
2015 Ka'imi Fairbairn UCLA
Trophies won by school
School Winners
Florida St. 4
Tulane 2
UCLA 2
Arizona St. 1
Arizona 1
Cincinnati 1
Florida 1
Iowa 1
Kansas St. 1
Louisville 1
Maryland 1
Memphis 1
NC St. 1
Ohio St. 1
Okla. St. 1
Ole Miss 1
Oregon St. 1
TCU 1
Texas A&M 1