Cameron Dicker is 22 years outdated, this means that he used to be 17 when Nick Foles took the Eagles on an unforgettable run in 2017.
Dicker performed highschool football at Lake Travis High in Austin, and Foles performed throughout the town at Westlake. Lake Travis and Westlake are convention and district opponents, so you possibly can assume Foles’ electrifying postseason run would have made somewhat an impact at the younger kicker.
You’d be unsuitable.
Dicker laughed sheepishly when requested about Foles Friday.
“I honestly have not watched football much in my life,” he mentioned. “I’m a soccer fan, and so I didn’t really care too much. It was kind of like, ‘Yeah, he’s there,’ and it’s something you know about, but it wasn’t anything that was big in my life.”
Soccer?
“Liverpool, via and thru,” he mentioned.
Turns out Dicker used to be born in Hong Kong and spent the primary 11 years of his lifestyles in Shanghai, China, the place his dad labored in provide chain control.
So he can’t inform you a lot about observing the Super Bowl MVP from the similar native land, but he were given lovely pumped speaking about Premier League.
“My best friends (growing up) were from England and they’ve been Liverpool fans,” he mentioned. “Their dad is a (Manchester) United fan and I decided I’m going with the kids.”
Dicker is probably not an American football fan, but the undefeated Eagles are relying on him to fill in for Jake Elliott for no less than one recreation.
Dicker, who kicked collegiately at Texas, will make his NFL debut Sunday when the Eagles face the Cards at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Elliott is coping with a foot harm that isn’t severe but will sideline him this weekend.
Dicker is the Eagles’ 3rd rookie mid-season emergency kicker within the final 40 years.
In 2005, Todd France performed 3 video games rather than injured David Akers in the course of the season. France made six of 7 box objectives earlier than Akers returned from his torn hamstring harm.
And in 2017, Elliott changed Caleb Sturgis a week into the season and hasn’t overlooked a recreation since.
But the Eagles officially dominated Elliott out on Friday, and so they’ll advertise Dicker from the observe squad to the game-day roster on Saturday.
Elliott’s recommendation for Dicker?
“Just kind of relax, trust myself, trust the operation and just roll.”
If Dicker – who is 22 years, 154 days, outdated – makes an attempt a box objective, he’ll be the youngest Eagles placekicker in 51 years, since Happy Feller, who used to be 22 years, 147 days, when he kicked towards Washington past due within the 1971 season. He used to be 0-for-4 in a 7-7 tie at RFK Stadium and used to be lower a week later.
Dicker it is going to be launched subsequent week regardless of how neatly he kicks Sunday, and he is aware of it.
“I’m excited, I stay ready for the opportunities and so this is just another opportunity for me,” mentioned Dicker, who frolicked previous this yr with the Rams (as a punter) and Ravens.
“There’s just an element of just like, ‘Go out there, do your thing, you’ve got to be confident with it. Make sure you’re doing your job and then just go out there and swing. I got here doing what I do and so I just got to keep doing that.”
Dicker has been running with snapper Rick Lovato and holder Arryn Siposs since he were given right here, and he mentioned it didn’t take lengthy for the gang to expand a convenience stage with every different.
“It’s been awesome,” he mentioned. “Really good guys, they do a great job. I’m just excited for it. … This is as clean as I’ve seen, so it’s one of those easy things to kind of come into and be ready to go. It’s fun to kind of get back into the swing of things.”
Since he used to be launched by means of the Ravens in August, Dicker has been house in Austin understanding on his personal and “trying to simulate live operations as much as I can.”
Dicker made 76 p.c of his kicks in school but 87 p.c final yr as a senior. With a younger kicker who’s by no means performed a regular-season recreation, you concern a lot extra about the place he is at mentally than bodily.
All those children can kick. But who can very best take care of the drive?
Nick Sirianni mentioned that used to be a part of the analysis procedure when the Eagles introduced kicking applicants in.
“We put him through a couple different things that tested (his mental toughness) and showed that for us,” he mentioned.
“I do know there’s a huge recreation this weekend between Oklahoma and Texas, and I do know he made a big-time (game-winning 40-yard) kick in that recreation (in 2018) and that’s probably the most larger video games in school football.
“So, yeah, we were comfortable with that. If he’s got to play, we’re confident in him.”
The Eagles are hanging their 4-0 file at the line in Arizona Sunday. And what if the sport comes down to a last-minute box objective?
“It’s fun,” Dicker mentioned. “Just another game for me.”
Not find it irresistible’s football or the rest.