A major key to the Falcons' football success since he has come on campus is kicker
Tanner Harding.
His role has evolved each season since 2018, but his straightforward philosophy has remained the same. This is how he summed it up:
" My goal is to have fun. When I have fun is when I play my best football. I like winning more than I like awards, so whatever it takes for our team to win I am willing to do."
Harding explained how his role as a kicker has changed since coming on campus, specifically the fact that he does not handle kickoffs anymore, and he just kicks field goals and extra points, and what a luxury that will be later in the season:
"Cam (Shirkey) is good on kickoffs so to take kicks off my leg, Cam takes kickoffs. It is all a part of our strategy. Other than resting my leg, my preparation does not change much. In 2018 I was in charge of all kicking duties (field goals, kickoffs, and punts) which was really taxing on my body and in my mind. It is stressful doing all three. In 2018 and in the spring of 2021 I did kickoffs and field goals which seems normal for a kicker, unless your team is one of the top scoring teams in the country (which is the case here.) The ability for me to focus on just field goals is going to be huge for us with a rested leg come playoff time."
Harding also emphasized that the execution of the kick is so important:
" So many things have to go right in 1.3 seconds. The snap (made by long snapper Zach Frye in our case) sets up everything so a fast accurate snap is very important. The holder is a very underrated position. The holder (punter Dominic Buttazzoni*) has to catch the ball, put it in the exact spot I based my steps off, and then get the laces or tilt correct. On top of that has has about a half a second to do so. Then comes my part, I have to ensure I leave on time so the kick is not blocked, and I have to execute all my techniques properly or I will miss. If all these things happen it will be a successful attempt."
Frye added this thought:
"You hear all of the time that you have only one job, but it's not that simple because of how we have to depend on each other in doing our jobs. We also are in high pressure situations most of the time so if we don't do our job it can lead to a bad outcome. This is something that people have a hard time understanding because of how mess-ups aren't seen like this on offense and defense during the game. "
Harding broke down how a typical week goes for him:
" Monday is our off day, so I do not kick at all that day. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday altogether with team reps, reps on my own, and warmups I would say around 20-30 reps. And Fridays are very light with Saturday being GameDay. I would say all in all it is about 75-100 reps a week depending on how I am feeling. Despite what a lot of people think quality over quantity is big as a college kicker. Many think we should kick the entire practice which is not smart. We have to be smart about our reps and getting quality work over quantity work is the best practice for us."
Buttazzoni talked about the first time he met Harding:
" The first time I met Tanner he had long cornrows and a large mustache. He definitely caught me off guard with his looks and I was able to assume he had an interesting personality."
Frye talked about when he met Harding:
"The first time I met Tanner was interesting because he seemed to joke and mess around a lot. Now i'm used to it and think it is funny."
Frye also talked about what his job is and how close the specialists have become:
"My job is to make Tanner, and Dom look as good as possible. What people don't understand is that all our jobs rely on each other to make it perfect for a good field goal. For me it is about 50 reps per week between field goal, PAT, and punt. We do one of them each day so I always have a part in practice. Since getting here we have all become close and hang out all of the time. You can tell becuase it transfers onto the field with the trust that we have with each other."
"Harding told me that it is great to have all the school records (and he has a lot of them**) and accolades that he has with the program, but it is more a testament to the field goal unit.
"It is great to hear my name attached to all those accolades. It is a testament to my field goal unit and the connection that Dom, Zach, and I have. I have put in a lot of work and sacrificed so much, it is nice to see it has paid off."
Harding told me that Jason Meyers of the Seattle Seahawks is the guy who he models his game after. He told me he thinks Meyers has a very smooth swing.
Harding talked about the strides the program has made since he arrived:
" This program has made huge strides since 2016. The culture that surrounds the program is strong and has been cultivated years before our first championship. The program has been built into a powerhouse through years of sacrifice and dedication to be the best. We have made great strides but the ultimate goal of a national championship has not been achieved yet, there is still work to be done."
Frye closed with this thought:
" This team has a lot of motivation after two years of coming up just short of the national title game. We have had players and coaches leave, but the standard never changes. We have a lot on the line the rest of the season."
NDC (5-1 overall, 4-1 MEC) is in a three way tie atop the conference standings. They will host West Virginia Wesleyan (0-6 overall, 0-5 MEC) in the homecoming game at Mueller Field on Saturday at 1 PM.
* Buttazzoni will be featured in a future profile.
** Harding's NDC season records:
PAT kicks made
PAT kicks attempted
PAT kick percentage
Field Goals made
Field Goals attempted
Field Goal Percentage
Harding's Individual Career Records:
PAT kicks made
PAT kicks attempted
PAT kick percentage
Field Goals Made
Field Goal Percentage
Total Points In MEC and NDC History
MEC Standings:
Charleston (4-1 overall 4-1 MEC)
NDC (5-1 overall 4-1 MEC)
Frostburg State (5-1 overall 4-1 MEC)
Fairmont State (3-3 overall 3-2 MEC)
UNC Pembroke (3-3 overall 3-2 MEC
West Liberty (3-3 overall 3-2 MEC)
West Virginia State (3-3 overall, 3-2 MEC)
Wheeling (3-3 overall 3-2 MEC)
Concord (2-3 overall 2-3 MEC)
Glenville State (1-4 overall, 1-4 MEC)
Alderson Broaddus (0-6 overall 0-5 MEC)
West Virginia Wesleyan 0-6 overall 0-5 MEC)
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