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Just call him “Kickalicious.”
That’s what coaches with the Detroit Lions did after they couldn’t pronounce Havard Rugland’s name during a tryout earlier this week.
Rugland is a Norwegian Internet kicking sensation who hopes to parlay his incredible trick-shot video — which he called “Kickalicious” — into a dream job kicking for an NFL team.
Next up for Rugland is a trip to Michael Husted’s pro kicking camp in Florida, where the goal is to be seen by more NFL teams.
Rugland feels his tryout in Detroit went well, despite tweaking the hamstring in his powerful left leg. He has refined his kicking motion while working with Husted in San Diego since having a tryout with the New York Jets in December.
While Rugland works to learn a sport he became familiar with only about two years ago by watching the Super Bowl on TV, NFL personnel are learning about Rugland. His first name is pronounced HO-var.
“They tried to pronounce my name but just went with ‘Kickalicious,’ ” Rugland said.
The video of the same name has amassed more than 2.5 million views since Rugland posted it in September. It shows the former soccer player kicking and punting a football through uprights from as far away as 60 yards, from straight on and also from incredible angles. He also kicks a ball to a friend on a boat on a lake, in a moving car, on a skateboard, on a railroad bridge, on a hill, on a bluff overlooking a beach, and over trees.
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Friday is the final day for fans to vote on The Columbian’s All-Region boys and girls basketball teams, if they haven’t already.
Fans can go to www.360preps.com to participate. The results will be combined with results of a separate coaches vote, as well as The Columbian staff’s own selections, to create the final teams.
The teams will be announced in Monday’s and Tuesday’s editions of The Columbian.
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The Seahawks’ Richard Sherman, who is an All-Pro cornerback and an all-world trash talker, recently appeared on some ESPN blather show featuring the insufferable Skid Bayless.
Sherman reportedly told Bayless, “I am better at life than you” and “you’ve never accomplished anything.”
We knew there was a reason Sherman is our favorite player.
