It seems Brian Bostrom was born to kick. Influenced by his father, who was a kicker/punter for the University of Illinois, and his uncle, a record-tying kicker at Arizona State, the Los Altos resident has been booting footballs since he was 10.
After a distinguished kicking career at The King’s Academy, Bostrom aspires to carry on the family tradition of earning a starting spot in college. Recruited to play for Villanova University, the freshman hopes his lineage gives him a leg up on the competition.
“It’s helpful,” Bostrom said in a phone interview between practices last week. “I have pretty good genes in general and booted the ball far in soccer as a youngster.”
Bostrom’s booming leg served him well at King’s, a midsized private school in Sunnyvale. As a senior, he nailed a 53-yard field goal to set a school record and sailed a kickoff 73 yards in the Knights’ season finale.
Now comes the tall task of achieving similar success in college. Unlike at King’s – where he was unchallenged as the kicker/punter in his three varsity seasons – Bostrom is competing against three players for a kicking role at Villanova.
“It’s a little different, but it’s nice,” he said of the competition with a senior, junior and sophomore. “I’d get bored a lot in practice (at King’s) and do my own thing. It’s nice to have guys to work with, and we critique each other. We all want the best guy out there, whoever it is.”
Bostrom conceded that his best chance to play this season would be as the Wildcats’ kickoff specialist.
“The (field-goal) kicker from last year had a really good season, and I would have to be really phenomenal to do that job,” he said, referring to senior Mark Hamilton. “I would love the opportunity to punt, but (Hamilton) punts, too, and he was all-league last year.”
Bostrom, however, may be better kicking off the tee.
“It’s between me and one other guy (sophomore Chris Gough) for the best leg on the team,” he said, “so they’re having me work on kickoffs the most.”
Bostrom added that if he doesn’t win the job, he would consider sitting out this season as a redshirt. But his focus is on taking the field for the Aug. 31 opener against crosstown rival Temple University.
“I have to keep working hard,” said Bostrom, who spent the summer training at Villanova, located in Pennsylvania. “I think it will come down to the wire, and I hope to be consistent enough to do it.”
Eventually, he wants to do it all – kick off, punt and attempt field goals for Villanova.
“I would love to do all three – that’s my goal,” Bostrom said. “I think I can definitely do it and be successful at all of them.”
He certainly was at King’s. Bostrom made 12 of 16 field-goal tries in his career, including all six as a senior. He converted 95 percent of his PATs in high school, and 75 percent of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks. Bostrom averaged 45 yards per punt, with a hang time of 4.25 seconds.
In January, Bostrom was named to the inaugural Ray Guy Prokicker.com High School All-America Team as Honorable Mention Punter.
No wonder so many colleges recruited him. But of all the interested schools – including UC Davis, San Jose State, Baylor, Southern Methodist and Georgetown – one stood out.
“I took a visit to Villanova and loved it,” Bostrom said. “The coaching staff is phenomenal and the academics are great.”
While moving across country has been an adjustment for Bostrom – especially the hot and humid weather – family is just a phone call away. Bostrom raved about the support he’s received from mom Sue – perhaps his biggest fan – and dad Kirk.
“I call him my coach,” Bostrom said of his father. “He taught me a lot and I wouldn’t be here without him.”
