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Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little celebrates his 21st birthday with two field goals
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- Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little celebrates his 21st birthday with two field goals
Happy birthday, Cam Little.
The Jacksonville Jaguars rookie kicker made field goal attempts of 26 and 44 yards and hit two conversions on his 21st birthday on Saturday in the Jags' 20-7 preseason victory over the Tampa Bay Bucs at EverBank Stadium
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The real celebration will come on Sunday, when punter and holder Logan Cooke and long snapper Ross Matiscik will treat Little to a grilled Cobia and shrimp dinner. Matiscik caught the 60-pound fish himself off Cooke's boat, about 25 miles offshore.
Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little (39) kicks a extra point against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"Ross gave me a friendship bracelet," Little said, displaying it proudly. "And Logan is being kind enough to cook out for me."
As Little pointed out recently, it was the first time he had ever played a football game on his birthday, since his seasons at Moore (Okla.) Southmoore High School and the University of Arkansas never started this early in August.
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So it's going to be a great weekend all around, especially since Little continues kicking well.
Little appreciates team's confidence
"Just a game-by-game mentality," Little said. "I learned that in college. Have a good week of practice and just carry the momentum over to the game."
Little has connected on 5 of 6 attempts in two preseason games, missing only a 62-yard attempt on Aug. 10 against Kansas City that had the distance but was tugged left. He is 3 of 3 on conversions.
Little has made 35 of 43 in live kicking or scrimmage periods in camp (81.4 percent) and has connected on 16 of 21 (76.2 percent) from 50 yards or longer.
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Little also has more than justified the team's confidence in him. Since earning the kicking job when Riley Patterson was cut on July 29, less than a week into camp, Little has kicked even better, making 22 of 26 (84.6 percent) overall.
Counting the preseason games and camp, Little is 40 of 49 (81.6 percent).
"It's obviously a little confidence boost from your head coach [ Doug Pederson ] to say, 'hey, we're going to roll with you,'" Little said. "But I try to keep some humility. Just as fast as this is going my way, it could go the other way."
Little works on building momentum
Little sees it as small steps: kick well in rookie minicamp, OTAs and mandatory minicamp, then in training camp, then preseason games. After playing Atlanta on Aug. 23 the real test comes when the Jaguars open the season on Sept. 8 in Miami .
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"As a specialist, if you can develop momentum, it will take you a long way," he said. "Keeping that confidence and building it up to bigger moments, like the regular season. I'm going to have to make some big kicks for this team."
The Jaguars are counting on it. Little will be the 10thkicker since the 2020 season to occupy the position, a jumbled chain of events forced by injuries and ineffectiveness.
Little, drafted in the sixth round, will be the third starting kicker in three seasons for Pederson.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars kicker Cam Little boots two field goals on his 21st birthday
