Unicorn Kicker: UTSA's Jaffer Murphy's Pro Day Performance

0:00On April 1st, Jaffa Murphy just exploded onto the NFL draft scene with a pro-day performance that's got everyone talking. This University of Texas at San Antonio Kicker, mainly a kickoff guy last season, drilled field goals from 50, 55, 57, 61, 65, and even 70 yards longer than any in a real game. He also blazed the 4.5 second 40 yard dash and hit a 45 inch vertical leap, turning heads from 18 NFL teams. His road here was anything but straight. Born in Liberia during Civil War, adopted at 4 by an Iowa family, he dominated soccer from youth leagues to college at Drake and Florida Gulf. Coast. After his dad's sudden death from pneumonia and COVID around Christmas, 2021, soccer lost its spark. He bought footballs for 90 bucks, taught himself to kick, and switched sports at 23. Coaches and family saw his raw talent right away, calling him a freak athlete with pure spirit.

1:00From a division 2 scholarship at Lake Erie, where he set a 60 yard record but struggled with consistency to a quit preferred walk on at North. Carolina under Bill Belichek, who cut him after spring ball, but praised his leg, that pushed him to drive 17 hours to UTSA for a tryout, earning a spot as their kickoff specialist. At UTSA, he handled 88 kickoffs with 54 touchbacks, nicknamed Wild Thing for his power, and made an extra point in their bull win. Training in Tampa sharpened him up, and on pro day, he went 11 of 12 on long kicks, sparking viral videos that made him feel like a gridiron. Legend. Now Scouts are buzzing about his speed for special team tricks, with at least one NFL team reaching out and camps likely ahead. The draft kicks off April 23rd, and this unicorn kickers bet on himself might just pay off big. This has been NFL News Today, powered by AI.