It was a bone-chilling 18 degrees outside with snow on the ground and a freezing wind in the air. App State’s special teams coordinator, Jeff Crosby, made the long trip to NorthWood High School in Nappanee, Indiana.
“He went 14 of 15 field goals, and I knew right then, he was the guy,” Crosby said.
Freshman kicker Dominic De Freitas was the player of interest.
“I love it here; it’s definitely a new experience,” De Freitas said. “A lot to get used to.”
Crosby held an influential role in De Freitas packing up to move 10 hours away from home.
“Crosby and I had such a good relationship off the start that wherever he was gonna be, I wanted to be with him and have him as my coach,” De Freitas said.
De Freitas started his high school career playing soccer.
“We would have to keep an eye on him because he wanted to win so badly; he was very physical,” said AJ Risedorph, De Freitas’ athletic director at NorthWood.
De Freitas was later recruited by NorthWood as a kicker.
“It took a couple years for our coach at the high school to warm up to kicking field goals because our coach is historically known for saying ‘two is worth more than one,’” Risedorph said.
De Freitas broke the record for the longest field goal on the football team with a 62-yard kick, which is also the record for the state of Indiana.
“He spent so many invisible hours coming out on campus,” Risedorph said. “If there was green grass and uprights available, he was kicking field goals.”
De Freitas is adjusting to not only the atmosphere of App State but the terrain as well.
The first game of the season led the Mountaineers to Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, home of the Carolina Panthers, where De Freitas began his collegiate career.
“I was hoping we would get a short field goal inside the 20, and I think his first one was 47 yards, but I had all the confidence in the world sending him out there,” Crosby said.
As De Freitas watched his first college kick go through the goal posts, he knew he deserved his place on the team. Freshman kicker Dominic De Freitas on media day on July 16. Courtesy of App State Athletics
“It was a celebration; I’ve never got hit in the helmet so much,” De Freitas said. “I felt like a bobblehead.”
After returning to Kidd Brewer Stadium for their matchup against Lindenwood University the following week, De Freitas made both of his field goal attempts and put points on the scoreboard for the Mountaineers.
When the Black and Gold traveled to Southern Miss, the outlook shifted: the kicker missed his first field goal of the season.
“I told him from the start, ‘Hey, dude, you’re going to miss one,’” Crosby said. “Everybody does.”
De Freitas reflected on past games and how stress and pressure can play an influential role in players’ performance on the field.
“I try to zone everything out and focus on everything around me,” De Freitas said. “I try to lock in on my job.”
Crosby said he trains players to deal with high-pressure moments by putting them in replicated situations such as red zone lockouts and twominute drills.
“It’s obviously different with 40,000 people in the stands, but you’re looking for that type of mindset,” Crosby said.
De Freitas has a lot more to show the High Country this season. He plans to break the record for longest field goal made at App State. This record was previously set by former kicker Mark Wright at 57 yards in 2000.
“He is a big-time kicker, and I’m happy he’s here,” Crosby said.