To think that just months ago Wesley Wells was kicking for Lumpkin County High School in Dahlonega. Here we are now in the thick of the college football season, and Wells has managed to kick his way onto a top-tier program and perhaps be closing in on a more vital role on the team.
Wells moved to Tech in June and was determinded to make the most of his opportunity.
“I was a [preferred walk-on] knowing I had a spot on the team, but regardless, I worked hard,” says Wells.
The Lumpkin County product (Class of 2018) then made his alma mater even more proud by converting his first career field goal attempt in a win over Lousville, a 41-yarder that split the uprights.
The 3-pointer came just four days after coach Paul Johnson named Wells the starting kicker amid a three-man competition all season.
“I really wasn’t that nervous,” says Wells of his first career attempt. “I was just thinking about making the kick.”
It’s that kind of “ice-veins” approach that makes the good kickers great.
Wells got his feet wet in the September 1 season-opener for the Yellow Jackets against Alcorn State, kicking off three times for 166 yards and a touchback.
He didn’t play again until the September 29 game against Bowling Green, when he went a perfect 9-for-9 in PATs, making him the first Lumpkin County Indian to record points at the NCAA Division-I level. In the Louisville game on October 5, Wells notched 12 points, with the 41-yard field goal along with another 9-for-9 PAT clip.
In the last game, a loss to Duke on October 13, Wells converted both PAT attempts and had no field goal opportunities.
His stat line includes 23 total points, as he is perfect 1-for-1 on field goals and 20-for-20 on extra points.
While his success is fantastic, Wells knows as much as anyone that in the game of football, kickers are often riding a very thin line in the “what have you done for me lately?” reality. A bad kick or two can get a starter benched or pushed behind others on the roster, such as the way Wells earned his job over previous starter Brenton King.
“It’s very competitive,” says Wells of the ongoing competition between kickers on the roster.
Fortunately for Wells, he is riding the waves of perfection at the moment, which only makes the uprights stretch even further apart. Look for Wells to continue his perfection as the Jackets take on Virginia Tech in Thursday night action on the road.
Feature Photo by Danny Karnik (GeorgiaTechFB)
