MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- While a high school senior in Falls Church, Va., kicker Paul Woodside tried to interest several colleges in his abilities on the football field.
What he got from all of them was a polite 'thanks, but no thanks.'
But that's just as well as far as he, West Virginia University Coach Don Nehlen and Mountaineer fans are concerned. Since earning a place on the WVU team as a freshman walk-on, Woodside has developed into an outstanding kicker.
He hit four field goals Saturday -- three of which were more than 40 yards -- and a point-after to give WVU 13 of its 19 points against Maryland. He is now 10-for-10 in field goals and six-for-six in point-after attempts since the Peach Bowl. One of the Peach Bowl field goals, a 49-yarder, was the longest in the post-season classic's history.
Not bad for a 19-year-old who switched to football in high school after deciding soccer wasn't really his game.
'I never was that good at soccer, but I kicked a long way,' he said.
Woodside -- 'Woody' to his friends -- said he was a little surprised he made the WVU roster last year.
'I was kind of excited,' he said.
WVU used Woodside for kickoffs most of last season. But he got his chance to shine on field goals and point-after attempts in the last few games after kicker Murat Tercan was injured.
Woodside credited the WVU coaching staff with helping him refine his kicking technique.
'In high school, I would kick for power. But since I've gotten here, I've learned it's like golf. The idea is just to meet the ball,' he said.
Although he consistently has drilled field goals from more than 40 yards, he said he'd like to do better still.
'I think I might be able to go up to 55 yards, but right now, I just don't have that little bit of extra,' Woodside said.
He also sought to dispel a minor myth that has been growing this week as a result of telling reporters his vision is so bad he could barely see the goalposts he was kicking at during the Maryland game.
'I didn't really expect to be taken seriously. I can see them,' he said. 'But my main concern is looking at the ball and following through. Thanks to the good Lord, everything else comes through.'
He also brushed aside any notion that he was last weekend's hero, stressing that all of the Mountaineers' success so far this season has been a team effort.
As for the future, Woodside said he has entertained ideas about a possible pro career.
'I'd like one for sure, and for the next couple of summers I'll be working real hard,' he said.
But he added that his business administration studies are his main concern at the moment.
