PRIOR LAKE– Friday’s are #ForTheBrand here at Northstar Football News and we have a 2021 kicker and punter from the south metro you’ll want to know about. We caught up with Josh Keller of the Prior Lake Lakers about his journey as a kicker, where he’s at with the recruiting process, and much more.
Get to Know Josh Keller
Keller’s career as a kicker started with the game of soccer. He’s played the game of soccer for 8 years, which gave him a quick knack of kicking a ball on the football field vs. the soccer field. His biggest strengths are his determination and his work ethic of always wanting to get better for the brand. “I love working on my game and I don’t ever give up,” Keller had to say about his kicking strengths. On the football field, Keller’s strength is his stellar focus. Josh takes every play on the field, one play at a time which shows off how strong his mental preparation is with the game of football.
Perks About Being the Kicker
“Everyone is watching you,” is what Keller told Northstar Football News is his favorite part about being the “kicker” under the Friday Night Lights. Everyone knows how fast football goes, it’s hard as a fan/writer to watch every single play. Kickers are always watched, even though they may not hit the field nearly as much as a linebacker, quarterback, etc. which is another thing Josh Keller enjoys about being the kicker, is that every time he’s on the field, the bulk of the crowd is watching him.
College Interest/Elevator Pitch
Just a junior, Keller hasn’t had all that much college interest in his kicking game as of yet. He does have an elevator pitch however that college coaches will want to read:
A few things college coaches should know about me is I am very coachable, I have a great work ethic, and I love to learn from others. One thing that I think all my coaches currently could say is that I am very coachable, I am always willing to listen to their advice and change how I do things. Also, I love going to the gym and field to improve my body and technique.
Improving from Last Season
Keller has gotten advice from his coaches to work harder on where he’s placing his plant foot when he kicks. Finding that balance on where to line up as a kicker is a huge move and you want to make sure you are not too close or too far away to the football when you line up your foot. Josh told NFN he’s working “all offseason” and gained consistency exactly where to put that plant foot when he’s kicking field goals, etc.
Josh’s Kicking Mentor
Keller’s mentor as a kicker has been Chris Husby as he’s worked with Chris for a year and a half at the Special Teams Football Academy located here in Minneapolis. “Chris has helped me focus on things I need to work on and he’s helped me improve a lot.” You will learn more about Chris Husby and the Special Teams Football Academy as well as the National Kicking Rankings next week only with us at Northstar Football News.
What Makes Josh Keller a #ForTheBrand Minnesota Kicker?
“One thing that makes me #forthebrand is my love for the game and kicker position,” Keller told Northstar Football News is his reason why he’s a top kicker in our class of 2022. Josh Keller also has a love of how unique his position is and he isn’t afraid to seek out advice from other kickers or his Prior Lake coaching staff. That’s what #ForTheBrand is all about!
You can check out the long leg of Keller here in his junior Hudl tape here.
