Anthony Ciardulli – Argos Admirals Insider
TORONTO – Oh the life of a kicker. One day you’re a relative unknown the next you’re either a hero or a scapegoat. This is the reality for 23-year-old Ronnie Pfeffer out of Wilfrid Laurier University and the new kicker for the Toronto Argonauts.
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He watched the 2015 CFL Draft come and go and not have his name called. With a year of eligibility left, Pfeffer focussed his attention on returning to school where he would complete his degree in Sociology.
“I was just going to train all summer and get ready for another season and school year,” said Pfeffer. “The reality in football is you never know when your name is going to get called and when you may show a team how you can help them win games.”
That opportunity for Pfeffer would come while he was at his Kitchener home watching the Double Blue take on the Edmonton Eskimos and saw the 2014 Special Teams Player of the Year Swayze Waters limp off the field and into the locker room. A couple of days later, after it was announced that Waters would be out of action for up to 6 weeks with a groin injury, Pfeffer was invited to take part in a kicking competition for the now vacant position. It was a job he would win and so far run with.
“It’s always been a dream to be a professional athlete and showcase my abilities in front of the entire country,” said the National Kicker.
To suggest he was thrown in the fire would be an understatement. His first time on the field wasn’t for a kickoff or even a punt. No, the 5’11 kicker got his number called early in the game for a 50-yard field goal attempt. It was a kick he would make, tying his longest made field goal at Laurier kicking for the Golden Hawks.
“When I knew I made it I just couldn’t keep my emotions in check. I started jumping up and down because it was complete affirmation that all my hard work and sacrifice to this point has paid off.”
Prior to his CFL debut, Pfeffer’s most significant game in his University career was a 4-field goal game against Waterloo while he was a sophomore.
“I thought a Laurier homecoming in front of 12,000 fans was crazy but 30,000 Rider fans screaming against you was absolutely incredible.”
Of course like nothing else in life, sports is a “what have you done for me lately” business. While happy he made his first field goal, Pfeffer would also miss two attempts and have the game resting on his foot with six seconds left. After a Chad Owens touchdown, Pfeffer was asked to kick a 32-yard extra pointer to tie the game. The increased distance is a new rule change this season, and while its intention may have been to encourage teams to go for a 2-point conversion, it definitely puts added pressure on a team’s field goal kicker.
“it’s definitely different kicking from the 32 rather than the 12-yard line but in the end it’s a kick you just gotta make.”
As the team prepares for their upcoming game against Calgary, Pfeffer knows he’s only scratched the surface of what he hopes is a long career. But he doesn’t know what the future holds once Waters returns from the lineup.
“At this point I’m just taking it all in. Other than some cities in Ontario and a trip to Edmonton I haven’t had the chance to see much of the country. I’m just looking forward to going to Calgary and playing football.”
For this young kicker he may soon not forget his trip to Sasktachewan.