Bull In The Spotlight: Spencer Shrader
By Joey Johnston
Sophomore place-kicker Spencer Shrader, a former walk-on, makes it look simple.
"I keep my head down, follow through, get the ball high up there … and if I do all those things, the ball will go through the uprights,'' Shrader said with a smile.
Who's to argue with that approach? Shrader has become one of the best kickers in the American Athletic Conference — it not the nation — by going 9-for-9 on field-goal attempts, including a career-high 52-yarder in Saturday night's 34-14 home victory against the Temple Owls, and 20-for-20 on PAT he is one of six FBS kickers that remains perfect on placements during the 2021 season.
Shrader should again be one of USF's top weapons when the Bulls (2-5, 1-2) travel to East Carolina (3-4, 1-2) for Thursday night's prime-time ESPN showcase game at 7:30 p.m.
"He's 100 percent on his field goals, 100 percent on his PATs and does a great job on his kickoffs (getting 25 touchbacks on 35 kickoffs),'' USF coach Jeff Scott said. "He's as talented as any kicker in the country. If he will continue to work, I think he could kick in the NFL for a long, long time.''
But here's the biggest kick: Shrader, 22, is much more than a talented football player.
Call him USF's renaissance main:
* He founded an online company (CopperFox Technologies) that does brand design, web development and sales force integration.
* He and his sister Sophie, a soccer player at the University of Tampa, run a personal-training business for speed and agility, usually frequented by football and soccer players.
* He pours most of his earnings into stocks and index funds. He's also an avid real-estate investor.
* He once spent three months in Brazil pursuing a professional soccer opportunity, continuing to pursue his first sport. If he had received a guaranteed contract, he probably would have stayed there.
* Shrader and his sister, who were homeschooled students, combine with their parents on a family nonprofit organization, Liberty Villages, which is dedicated to building Christian communities devoted to education, entrepreneurship, freedom and peace.
"Spencer is a great kicker, but he's also one heck of an interesting guy,'' USF special teams coordinator Daniel Da Prato said. "He has a lot of skills, a lot of talents.''
But if you see Shrader around USF's campus, he's the kicker. These days, that's a pretty good role.
Shrader is one of the more athletic kickers you will find. He loves to compete with his teammates in the weight room and with conditioning drills. A former soccer striker, he's also very fast as evidenced by his 22-yard touchdown run on a fake field-goal attempt at UConn in 2019.
"I don't think being a kicker defines who I am,'' Shrader said. "But when I'm out there, competing or training, I'm just as committed as anybody. I take pride in that.''
Dating back to last season, Shrader has made 13 of his last 14 field-goal attempts (the only miss was a 46-yarder against UCF in the 2020 season finale). That string includes made field goals of 52, 49, 49 47, 46, 44, 42 and 41 yards.
Not bad for a guy who has kicked footballs for just four years. He was mostly a soccer performer, but also played tennis (his team's No. 1 player throughout his Newsome High School career). One day at soccer practice, he was kicking footballs for fun. The football coach, Ken Hiscock, said he was stopped short "by the sound'' of Shrader's impact on the ball.
Just like that, he became a football player.
"I'm still so new to this, so this is actually the first year I feel completely comfortable and not out of place,'' said Shrader, who once hit a 64-yarder in practice during a live situation, including a rush from the defensive linemen. "I feel so confident. I'm really comfortable with my teammates and pretty settled into this environment.
"I went through some lows, for sure. But I think you have to go through the lows so you can appreciate the highs. I have human emotions and didn't enjoy going through struggles, but I think I have a healthy perspective. I'm a man of strong faith and a more mature person, so I think I'm going to be grounded when I go through tough situations.''
At the same time, when things are going well, Shrader seeks to maintain that same perspective.
"There's no reason to get so caught up in one area of my life,'' Shrader said. "Football is like one of the puzzle pieces. When I'm out there, it's 100 percent football. But it's just a game, just a part of my life and one I hope can be used in a positive manner.
"I'm blessed to be here. I think God sets things in your path, so I was given this opportunity. You have to take action and go after things, so I'm giving this my very best shot.''
Shrader wants to pursue the NFL one day, but not at all costs. Whether it works out or not, there's so much more he wants to experience in life. He's already off to a great start.
"Everyone has different battles they struggle with,'' Shrader said. "I'm not tempted in the ways people might think. Mine is more if I'm doing enough with the blessings I've been given.
"I am a bit of a perfectionist. One of my favorite quotes from Coach Scott has been, 'How you do anything is how you do everything.' I love that. I want to do everything the same way. How I live my life, how I treat people, can affect every area. So, I strive to be my best. I understand I'm not perfect.''
But on the field? So far?
Shrader keeps his head down, follows through and gets the ball high. It keeps going through the uprights. He makes it look simple. For the Bulls, it has been a winning approach.
