Friday #ForTheBrand Recruiting Report: Owen Forsythe/Shakopee (2022)
SHAKOPEE-- In this week's #ForTheBrand Friday edition, we connected with 2022 specialist Owen Forsythe of the Shakopee Sabers. We chatted with Forsythe about his start as a kicker, what's on his recruiting trail, and much more!
Get to Know Owen Forsythe
I had a chat with a coach last week on how much easier it is to convince a player to come out for football as a teacher in the school. That is exactly what happened with Owen Forsythe. The special team's coach for Shakopee, who is also one of Owen's teachers, invited him out to the football turf to do a little kicking just for fun and the rest is history. The biggest strength to Forsythe's game is being effective on onside kicks in which Forsythe coins himself as an "onside kick artist" which is an impressive title on his kicking resume. Forsythe also prides himself on being very consistent on his field goals for the Sabers, who made it to the state quarterfinals with a record of 5-6 last season after a late-season run.
Bests Parts About Being the Kicker in a High School Setting
"You are relied on a lot," Forsythe said about the best parts about the kicker position in high school 6A football. Some players cringe under pressure, but that is not Owen Forsythe, who "loves pressure situations."
College Interest/Elevator Pitch
"It would be a dream to play college football," Forsythe said about his need to play at the next level. Forsythe doesn't hold any current offers as a 2022 but has the work ethic and mindset that he's going to keep working to get there. As for his elevator pitch, Forsythe had this to say about the coaches that may be reading this:
If I had to give coaches a quick pitch, I’d say that I am very hard working and coachable. During practices, I’m constantly working on things that I can bring to the table to help the team, and I’ll try everything to find a solution to any problem.
Offseason Work Ons
I think it's always key for coaches to send their kids off from their football season with an interview with every player so they can create a list of "work ons" that they want from them during the offseason. Some just say, get stronger and faster, but for specialists, it's always more specific. He has been working to improve his plant foot and his follow through on kicks. Because both of those items lead to a clean kick, Forsythe knows the importance of nailing those key items down this summer. Forsythe said every day this offseason he has done rehearsals with finding a target spot for his plant food and said "it's helped," along with working on his flexibility to make sure he'll finish high and straight on every chance he gets with his kicks.
Owen's Mentor
Forsythe, like most of our Minnesota specialists, has also adapted the instruction from the Special Teams Football Academy based here in Minneapolis led by Chris Husby who Owen calls his mentor and is someone he looks up to, as Husby has done so much for kickers, punters, and long snappers not only in Minnesota but across the country.
What Makes Forsythe a Kicker #ForTheBrand in Minnesota?
"It's how supportive I am," Forsythe told PRZ Minnesota. Forsythe is well aware that every kicker has the same dream and his respect level for all those kickers is second to none as, every kicker to be their best has to "Own Their Craft" when their number is called to do kickoffs, put points on the board, and much more!
