Drive to 65

Micah Breckenridge (10) kicking off to begin the season against Christian Brothers.

Lora Lyons

Micah Breckenridge (10) kicking off to begin the season against Christian Brothers.

Micah Breckenridge’s (10) parents always told him he had the body of a soccer player and the mind of a football player, but they never allowed him to participate in football because of its rough physical nature and fear of their son getting injured. After a series of convincing phone calls from Coach Coley Thornton at White Station Middle, Breckenridge’s parents decided to allow their son to play kicker for the football team.

“I didn’t know if football was the right thing for me, but Coach Thornton stuck with me,” Breckenridge said.

During his eighth grade year, Breckenridge considered quitting the team before he realized his potential future in kicking.

“I love the fact that it’s so important and maybe I’m a little guy, [but] I can win a game. I can put points up on the board that matter,” Breckenridge said.

This is only Breckenridge’s third season as a kicker, and he still demands perfection from himself.

“I expect myself to go perfect, just as a mindset as a kicker,” Breckenridge said.

In the rare occasion that he does miss a kick attempt, Breckenridge can be spotted on the sideline boiling over with frustration even if the game is well under control by his fellow Spartans.

Breckenridge went from being widely unknown to highly respected during his freshman year.  In a game near the end of his freshmen season against Hamilton, Breckenridge broke a Tennessee state record by kicking four straight recovered onside kicks.

“When we played Melrose, they were prepared for my onside kicks and I don’t think we recovered a single one,” Breckenridge said.

During the summer leading into this year, Breckenridge visited Alabama, Auburn, TCU and Baylor and is currently being recruited by Tennessee, Alabama, Notre Dame, Auburn and Rhodes, with TCU showing interest.

Breckenridge’s ultimate goal is to kick in the NFL. Before his high school career ends, he wants to leave his mark in the kicking world. The NFL record for the longest field goal ever made currently stands at sixty-four yards. Breckenridge has the lofty goal of breaking that record by hitting a sixty-five yard kick before he graduates. Micah Breckenridge is motivated daily by his drive to sixty-five.