— By Taylor Kennedy
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Redshirt junior Casey Legg is making a name for himself among Big 12 Conference kickers.
Through the completion of non-conference play, Legg is second among Big 12 kickers with four made field goals. He’s yet to miss an attempt and is coming off a performance in which he made from 21 and 44 yards, providing the Mountaineers with their final two-scoring plays in a 27-21 victory.
“I feel nerves, but I try and block all the outside stuff out,” said Legg, a Charleston native. “The pressure isn’t too bad when you think of scenarios or anything like that. I try and treat every kick the same. It is more excitement nerves than pressure nerves.”
Legg had never played football before college. He spent four years out on the pitch with the Cross Lanes Christian School Warriors.
Legg was the captain of the school’s soccer team during his junior and senior years.
“A penalty kick is close, but it is similar,” Legg said comparing the pressure of soccer to football. “All eyes are on you make or miss. I have been in situations like this before even in high school.”
Going from high school soccer matches to playing in front of 60,000-plus fans, as was the case Saturday at Milan Puskar Stadium, has created another transition for Legg.
“I enjoy the fans whenever I am on the sidelines watching and listening to them,” Legg said. “When I am on the field, I completely block out all fans. I try hard not to notice them, and I just focus on the kick, and maybe that is easier in front of 20 people compared to 60,000.”
Legg has appeared in 16 career games and connected on 11-of-15 field goals, including a career-long 51-yard field goal at Kansas State in 2019.
In addition to Saturday’s nine-point performance against the Hokies, Legg made a 44-yard field goal in the home-opening victory over Long Island and a 23-yard try in the season-opening loss at Maryland.
He has also made all 13 of his point-after kicks in 2021, leaving Legg with 25 points ahead of Saturday’s Big 12 opener at No. 4 Oklahoma.
“The soccer and football swings are different,” Legg said. “I have had to learn that the hard way over the past three years I have been kicking. It is getting better, but it is closer to a straight football swing. I am still working on it. It is still not pretty, but whenever I make it, I am happy.”