MontrealAlouettes.com
Like all kickers, Sean Whyte has ice water in his veins. Blessed with the ability to come in cold off the bench to boot winning field goals in the dying moments of games, here’s what makes the B.C. native tick and kick.
What kickers did you idolize growing up?
I didn’t play football growing up. (laughs) I played other sports, but if I was to look at that now, I’d look at a guy like Jason Elam. He’s super smooth, and his kicks are almost like an Ernie Els swing, you know, the golfer. When you can swing like that, you just don’t miss, so I’d say Jason Elam — my idol.
Is there some kind of kickers fraternity or brotherhood that exists? Do you guys stick together?
Again, I didn’t play football growing up, but I guess before and after games you can go and talk with the other kickers and be cordial. You don’t have to be best friends though. (laughs) So I guess you can say there is. There’s a couple of guys in the league that I enjoy being around, and I’ll hang out with after games, but veteran kickers usually do their own thing, so you don’t really hear much from them.
Do kickers trash talk one another?
People are always trash talking kickers! (laughs)
Do you have a soccer background? If push comes to shove could you bend it like Beckham?
Oh, that was my thing! (laughs) That was my thing! I was the corner kick guy and the penalty shot guy! I played for Team Canada, you didn’t know that? Come on! I played for the Under-18s. We won our tournament in 2003 and represented Canada in Liverpool. I was a striker.
How old were you when you realized you could kick things further than all your friends in the neighborhood?
It was through soccer. I’d warm up my buddy, who was the goalie, and he hated it. (laughs) I thought I was giving him nice easy ones, but apparently they were really coming at him! (laughs) Also, whenever I’d drill a shot in-game, it’d always go straight, but way over the net! (laughs) My family members all played rugby and they were all kickers, so I’ve always enjoyed it, and I guess I was just lucky that someone saw me kicking at the right place at the right time, and asked me to play football.
What do the words Ray Finkle mean to you?
One of my favourite movies right there! Ace Ventura Pet Detective! (laughs) That’s the main joke with kickers, calling them Finkle, or saying “laces out, Dan.” (laughs)
You did some serious celebrating after your winning kick with no time ok the clock in Week 10 against Hamilton. Did the cautionary tale of Bill Gramatica cross your mind?
(laughs) It did. I don’t normally celebrate after field goals, but all of the emotion from that game, and everything that happened in that game was just something special, I think. The way the offence moved the ball to get us into field goal range after the defence made the stop, and then just hitting it after missing the one against Toronto, it just felt good to get a second chance to redeem myself like that and help the team get the win.
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Lucky for Whyte, there’s no hint of Lucy in his holder Josh Neiswander. |
Has your holder Josh Neiswander ever pulled a Lucy at practice?
(laughs) I always tell him don’t Charlie Brown me! And after the one he kind of bobbled in that same game — he still did a good job of getting it down though — on the very next field goal attempt we were lining it up and I looked at him like, “are you gonna catch this one?” (laughs) So we keep it loose out there, we’re having fun, and that’s the main thing.
We hear kickers can be unique like NHL goalies. How superstitious are you, really?
I am a little bit, but I do change things up. I’m also a goalie when I play hockey and it is very similar. There’s a lot of pressure and your mistakes are magnified compared to most positions.
What do you miss most about home during the season?
What I miss most about home is seeing my friends on a regular basis, and getting home cooking from my mom all the time. Here I’m more on my own though, and I think it’s a good thing. At home I’m kind of sheltered whereas here I can do my own thing, and I feel like I’ve grown up a lot since being in Montreal.
What’s the first thing you do when you get back there?
I just post up on that couch that my parents have in the living room, and my mom always walks in and is like, “there he is, favourite spot!” (laughs) Kind of like a cat. I’ll also go on the back deck with my dad, have some beers, and talk football.
