Lawrence Tynes is growing accustomed to all the media attention. Normally, kickers would not be so much in demand at Media Day in the build-up to a Super Bowl but the Greenock-born player found himself the focus of the world’s press.

A total of 4,786 journalists have been accredited for Super Bowl XLII in Phoenix and most were at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale for the maddest press conference of the year.

Tom Brady, the New England Patriots’ quarterback, was even shouted a marriage proposal – politely declined – from a Mexican television presenter during his interviews. Such is Media Day.

Tynes, who played for the Scottish Claymores in 2002, has been used to some passing media interest over the years.

After playing in Scotland and then in the Canadian Football League, he signed for the Kansas City Chiefs, beating out legendary kicker Morten Anderson.

Even at the Chiefs, he was not much in demand but he knew that would change last year when he signed for the New York Giants.

As a team in arguably the world’s biggest sports franchise, Tynes knew that every kick would come under the microscope.

He attracted some criticism after a stuttering start to his Giants’ career which was as much down to a new kicking unit as much as anything else.

Tynes was the subject of attention when the Giants played Miami Dolphins in London last October in the first NFL regular season match to be played in Europe.

He kicked the field goals that made the difference and since then the Giants have not looked back.
But even he could not have predicted the impact his 47-yard field goal in overtime against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game would have.

After missing two easier attempts at the end of normal time, he knew his Giants’ future was on the line as he launched his overtime kick to send his team to the Super Bowl.

The world’s media have been knocking at his door ever since. He even appeared on David Letterman’s “Late Show” and he has become a household name in America and attracted front page headlines in his native Scotland.

Asked at Media Day what was going through his mind during his famous kick at a frozen Lambeau Field, he said:  “Just make the kick.  It wasn’t getting any warmer out there.  Just make the kick – that’s the only thought that ever crossed my mind.  Let’s make this, let’s go home and get to the Super Bowl, and that’s what we did.”

Tynes knows that the only way to top it would be to kick the winning points in Sunday’s Super Bowl against unbeaten New England Patriots.

“I’d love it,” he said, “It’s something I started dreaming about this week.  People always ask, ‘Have you always dreamed about kicking a field goal in the Super Bowl?’

“I did this week but I couldn’t realistically in previous years because we weren’t in the Super Bowl.
“You get two weeks to think about it and what you’re going to do.  Everyone wants that highlight that shows that you kicked the field goal to help your team win the football game.”

Tynes insists he will take it all in his stride and deal with any nerves ahead of the game.

“I think it’s just anticipation.  Some people get nervous.  I don’t carry nerves onto the field, I carry anticipation and butterflies,” he stressed.

“We work so hard at what we do and feel so prepared.  You may get a little nervous prior to the game, but once you get into the game and get that first kick out of the way, it’s just another football game.”

Just another football game…only with an anticipated global television audience of over 90 million...
 
RM
© Copyright In The Winning Zone. MMVIII, All Rights Reserved