April 14, 2008

In senior placekicker Conor Lee, the Pitt football team boasts one of the country’s outstanding specialists. Lee enters his final season as a candidate for All-America honors and the prestigious Lou Groza Award, annually presented to the nation’s top kicker. He is the Big East’s active career leader in field goal percentage (83.3%) and has never missed an extra-point during his career, going 75 for 75. We recently sat down with Lee after a spring practice to talk about the art of kicking, school records and bonding with his fellow specialists. 

What qualities make for a successful kicker?

I think the biggest thing is having the mental ability to get through the ups and the downs because you aren’t always going to kick well. You have to be able to work through that and have mental toughness. You also have to be dedicated to your technique and want to get better. You don’t have to be the most talented person. I don’t think I was the most talented. I have worked very hard to get to where I am, and I still need a lot of work. You have to want to be constantly improving.

Who are some of the kickers you try to emulate?

I don’t think I look at just one kicker as the best example. I watch a lot of film on every kicker in the Big East and every kicker in the NFL. I try to emulate what each kicker does right. For instance, Mike Nugent of the New York Jets I think does some big things right. Some of the things he does make him a really special kicker. I try to incorporate those things. I love the attitude and mental approach of Jeff Reed of the Steelers. So I think I really look to the attributes of a bunch of guys.

I wouldn’t say we don’t talk about it. We actually joke around about it. If you go around to some of the best kickers in the country, all of them have the same deal going on at their schools. Sam Swank of Wake Forest is one of the best kickers in the country. He’s made 103 in a row, never missed one in his career. In my mind it’s nowhere near a no-hitter. Not missing a field goal is a no-hitter. Extra-points have to be automatic.

You received a letter from former Pitt kicker Carson Long (1973-76), who previously held the PAT record for 32 years.

When I broke the record I originally didn’t think it was a big deal. Even Carson said he was surprised it took over 30 years for the record to be broken. But when I received his letter it really hit me that I set a school record at Pitt. To be honest with you, at one point I never even thought I’d play here. When Carson sent me that letter I sat back and was like ‘Wow, it’s really cool that I have gotten to this point.’ I really appreciated him reaching out to me.

Is there one kick from your career that is your favorite or stands out in your mind?

To be honest, every single kick is so important to me because I put so much time into it. I love kicking and work so hard at it. That’s why every kick is its own reward. If I was going to pick one kick. . . (Pauses in thought) I’d say one of the coolest kicks was at Michigan State last year. It was a 29-yarder. It wasn’t a long one. I remember thinking ‘This is the loudest crowd I’ve ever been in front of and I’m about to make them quiet in about three seconds.’ That was really cool. And the (48-yard) West Virginia kick. When I made that I knew we were going to win that game.

Does a kicker have a special bond with his holder and long snapper?

I’m close with them. The biggest thing for us is to become a whole unit, a machine. All three of us become one in a way. We all know what each other is going to do. It’s down to muscle memory. Este (senior snapper Mark Estermyer) knows when he’s going to snap it. I know when it’s coming. It’s all down to a routine. This will be my third holder this year but we will do a lot of work together. We will become one working unit. We will put a lot of time in and make sure that we’re that way.

You are an outstanding student and twice have been named to the Big East All-Academic Football Team. Do you see any connections to achieving success in athletics as well as academics? 

I believe that if I don’t do well in school I’m not going to do well in football. If you get lazy in one area of your life, you are going to get lazy somewhere else. Sometimes when I wouldn’t want to study, I’d say to myself ‘Do it, because it will make you a better football player.’

You study business and economics. Any idea what you want to do with your degree?

I’d play football for the rest of my life if I could but at some point that will end. You have to prepare yourself for the next step in your life. I’m about to get my MBA and I’d like to own a business some day.