Pressure makes some athletes tighten up, and it makes others tell the truth about themselves. We’re joined by former Arkansas State football star and current NFL kicker Blake Grupe, the Red Wolves’ all-time leading scorer, and he takes us straight into the moments that forged his mindset, from being a walk-on fighting for reps to becoming a trusted leg on Sundays.
We talk about why Jonesboro still feels like home after five years at A-State, two degrees, and a college football world transformed by the transfer portal and NIL. Blake relives the surreal day he learned he was the starting kicker at halftime of the Alabama game, plus the small details that stick with you forever when you’re trying to earn your place.
Then we get honest about the Arizona Bowl, missed kicks, and the mental roller coaster that every specialist knows. Blake explains how that low point became his turning point, why confidence is something you build through preparation, and how a repeatable pre-kick routine helps him manage nerves in hostile stadiums. He also shares what he learned from Saints leader Demario Davis, what it was like meeting Adam Vinatieri in Indianapolis, and how he stayed level amid the chaos of the NFL before going 11-for-11 with the Colts and hitting a 60-yard field goal.
If you care about Arkansas State, special teams, NFL kicking, or building mental toughness under pressure, this conversation delivers. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves football, and leave a review telling us the most clutch moment you’ve ever watched or lived.
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