Low-key approach works for Nitro's Rollins
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
By RICH STEVENS - Charleston Daily Mail

Nitro senior Andrew Rollins isn't a typical place-kicker, even if he is "a different breed, like most kickers," Coach Scott Tinsley said.

Then again, he just doesn't get too worked up.

"Even the coaches said they heard him say, ‘Yea' once,' " Tinsley said. "He doesn't get very excited."

Rollins, who was also a standout player on Nitro's 12-10-2 soccer team and led the Wildcats in assists, doesn't get very involved unless he's kicking. That is, he doesn't play on the line, at defensive back or any other position on the field.

There is very little involvement with anything but his foot, except for the one tackle he made on special teams in a 54-33 victory over Spring Valley.

"A guy was running down the sidelines, so I just tackled him," said the 5-foot-10, 150-pound senior. "Well, I just pushed him out of bounds mostly."

That doesn't mean he's not kept busy.

He hopes the trend continues -- at least in the kicking department -- on Saturday afternoon when Nitro (12-1) and Morgantown (13-0) square off in the Class AAA championship game at Wheeling Island Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon.

When Nitro scores, he trots onto the field and kicks it through the uprights. He then returns to the field, sets the ball on the tee, and kicks off. He has kicked 59 extra points this season and has only five misses. Rollins hasn't had many opportunities to kick field goals, but has two -- a 23-yarder and a 32-yarder -- both of which came in the playoffs.

After his brief visits to the field, the soccer-style kicker trudges back to the sidelines to wait until the Wildcats score again. Thanks to Nitro's prolific offense -- the Wildcats average 39.7 points per game -- he doesn't have to wait long.

Rollins never gets bored, unless he's in the locker room watching films of opponents.

"I don't have to watch them, so I just kind of dozed off," said Rollins.

"The most excitement I've seen out of Andrew was when we woke him up from film watching today (Tuesday)," Tinsley said.

Although he spends a lot of time on the sidelines watching the Nitro offense, he also spends plenty of it walking back and forth from the field to the sideline.

Rollins has been a welcome addition, even to a team that hasn't been in very many dogfights. That extra point here or there comes in handy.

"If you've ever seen us on the sideline, every point is big to us," Tinsley said. "I'm a nervous wreck until the end of the game. I think it keeps adding the pressure to the other team, when you score and kick the extra point, when they know it's going to go through."

Rollins followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Jeffrey, who was the place-kicker on Nitro's state quarterfinal team a year ago.

Jeffrey Rollins didn't have to do a lot of kicking field goals either, but even Andrew admits he wouldn't mind having a chance at a few more three-pointers.

"But if I'm just kicking extra points that's good because we're scoring touchdowns," Rollins said.

What will happen if Nitro gets the opportunity at a field goal on Saturday? Does the Nitro high-powered offense stay on the field, or does Rollins trot from the bench and get a rare field goal attempt?

"I have no problem with a 40-yard field goal from Andrew," Tinsley said. "I have a lot of confidence in him from about 40."

Tinsley helped Rollins' cause when he changed long snappers "about four weeks ago," going with Josh Humphrey, while also making quarterback Michael Scott the holder. Scott held for Jeffrey Rollins last year.

Rollins helped out Tinsley by deciding to pull double-duty between football and soccer.

"We were having some problems with long snapping throughout the year and I think only one of his misses had a clean snap," Tinsley said. "He's been a real surprise for us. His brother kicked for us last year and we didn't know what we were going to do about a kicker this year. He showed up and has been real solid."