
In one tweet, Florida Gators kicker Eddy Pineiro simultaneously went viral and stripped himself of any excuses for ever missing a field goal.
The former soccer star posted a video from Tuesday’s practice of him belting an 81-yard field goal — 17 yards longer than the NFL record, 14 past the NCAA’s historic mark. Granted, it was an uncontested kick, but it happened with pads on, wind blowing and … oh yeah, 81 yards (!) between him and his target.
If any of this sounds vaguely familiar, that’s because Pineiro posted a video of him connecting from 77 yards in December 2015.
For any skeptics out there, Gators coach Jim McElwain said Pineiro’s 81-yard boot was “a real deal.”
“It’s actually something he did back during spring ball,” McElwain said, via SEC Country. “I don’t know why it took so long to get out here, but it was real. All right? So there wasn’t any doctoring up the yard marker or whatever.”
McElwain said he’s more concerned with what Pineiro does on game days, but that’s also a strength of the Miami Sunset High product. He made 21 of 25 field-goal attempts and all three of his tries from 50-plus yards last season, earning second-team All-SEC honors in the process.
The redshirt junior started his collegiate career as a soccer player at ASA Community College. Once he settled on football, he committed to the University of Alabama but decommitted after several months and signed with UF a day later.