Temple Kicker Maddux Trujillo set multiple records with his 64-yard field goal on Sept. 21.
The lights had never shone brighter on Temple Football kicker Maddux Trujillo as he trotted out to attempt a field goal just before halftime of the Owls’ week four game against Utah State. Trujillo had walked onto the field to attempt field goals countless times before, but this attempt was far different than the others.
He stood 64 yards away from the goalposts at Lincoln Financial Field, an unfathomable distance for a college kicker. With just five seconds left before halftime, Trujillo had the opportunity to change the momentum of the game and send Temple to the locker room down just 21-17.
Trujillo stepped up and kicked with everything he had. The ball soared through the air, bounced off the crossbar and through the uprights. Trujillo was mobbed by his teammates, giving Temple the life they needed to pull out a comeback win while making some history.
“You’re not really counting it off. You just go out there and look at the uprights and I was like ‘Well that’s kind of far away,’” Trujillo said after the Utah State game. “I have no choice but to kick the football so you might as well try to make it while you’re there.”
Trujillo’s kick was the longest in Temple and Lincoln Financial Field history. It was also the longest kick by a college kicker since 2008. While a 64-yard kick is a major deal to most kickers, for Trujillo it was just another day in the office. He showed the ability to make kicks like that in camp, so making that kick was no surprise to head coach Stan Drayton.
“Our players have seen them hit that field goal quite a few times in practice,” Drayton said. “So we know we get around that area to field. I’m glad the scenario played out the way it did, and our offense did a great job of putting us in field goal position, but you’re still one of the 45-yard line at that point. We’ve seen him hit that so many times, so it became a little bit of normalcy for us.”
Trujillo spent his first three seasons with Austin Peay University, an FCS program in Tennessee. He had an exceptional career with the Governors, earning all-conference honors all three seasons with the Governors, connecting on 38-53 field goal attempts and making 148 extra points. Once Trujillo hit the transfer portal he became a hot commodity.
The Georgia native drew interest from several high-major programs, including SEC program Arkansas, which was close to home. However, Trujillo wanted the opportunity to do kickoffs along with kicking field goals, and Temple offered him that opportunity.
Trujillo immediately impressed in camp with his strong leg and drew high praise from coaches and players. Once the season kicked off Trujillo proved his value. He connected on a field goal in each of the first four games, including a 54-yarder the week before he made the record kick.
“He was a great fit for us,” Drayton said. “He’s definitely fun to watch when he’s practicing and things of that sort. But it’s the mindset that he carries that it’s, of course, all that success that he’s having right now.”
Trujillo finished the season making 16 of 22 field goal attempts, including five from at least 50 yards away. His efforts earned him second-team all-AAC, making his one season with the Owls memorable.
The record-breaking kick was just the beginning of what turned into a great season for Trujillo. While his 64-yard kick made history, that may not even be the top of Trujillo’s range, in fact, he did not even hit the ball as well as he could have.
“I didn’t catch it absolutely perfect, which is kind of a weird thing to say and kind of a cocky thing to say,” Trujillo said. “But I didn’t really catch it perfect. So I was kind of hoping that it would, get there. I just wanted to get it on the right line even if it falls short on the uprights just make sure it stays there. And two weeks in a row, I had one bounce in for me.”
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