Former Penn State walk-on kicker Nick DeAngelis, a local of Ramsey, N.J., harnessed the viral energy of TikTok for an opportunity as well area targets on the Detroit Lions’ Ford Subject on Saturday.
He constructed a following of 46,800 followers with movies of splitting the uprights, and he lobbied NFL groups for an opportunity to kick at their stadiums with captions like “Day 7 attempting to get [an] NFL workforce to let me make a video of their stadium.”
The Lions’ social media workforce responded lately and agreed to accommodate him: So @ndeangelis04, as he’s identified on TikTok, will launch from the Ford Subject turf on Saturday.
“I’m simply searching for a bunch wherever,” DeAngelis, 25, stated on the telephone Thursday. “Prior to now, folks stated I wouldn’t have the ability to play Division I, that I ought to give up. I received’t quit. I simply want anyone to have a look at me one time.
Saturday’s showcase isn’t a tryout with the Lions. However DeAngelis hopes considered one of his kicks someday will open the proper pair of eyes and fulfill his dream of taking part in within the NFL.
Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo (Ridgewood, N.J.), a former Georgia Southern standout, memorably stormed onto the nationwide radar in 2016 with a viral video of Koo doing a backflip as he made a area objective attempt with no holder.
Koo simply signed a five-year, $24.5 million contract extension with the Falcons in March.
“That’s type of how I’ve been modeling this,” DeAngelis stated. “He had movies of him kicking and flipping after it. You simply must get your foot within the door. That’s all I must do.”
The Lions confirmed for the Day by day Information that its social media workforce had organized Saturday’s stadium go to for DeAngelis. Detroit’s social media workforce responded to considered one of DeAngelis’ latest movies with a message from their official account: “possibly we speak in a few weeks?”
Then the workforce adopted up on one other: “DMs are actually open.”
DeAngelis finally related instantly by way of textual content with somebody on Detroit’s social workforce to substantiate his go to. However amazingly, he paid his personal approach and flew to Detroit on Friday afternoon with out every other assurance that this was actual.
“I simply want one particular person to see me,” he stated, explaining why it’s value it. “Hopefully one thing comes of it.”
DeAngelis isn’t simply doing this for himself. His father, Adam, is battling most cancers. He says his dad, his mom Christina, and his brother are his largest supporters and the explanations he’s preventing.
“My dad spoke to the faculties, did every part he may to verify my dream got here true,” stated DeAngelis, who has finished some native teaching and coaching of athletes. “My mother saved me constructive and by no means let me give up.”
DeAngelis principally had performed basketball and a few soccer his complete life till the spring of his junior yr at Ramsey Excessive Faculty. Then someday, classmate Anthony Popolo, a lineman and long-snapper on the soccer workforce, requested for assist catching snaps.
DeAngelis obliged after which took a shot at just a few area targets, only for kicks.
“I teed the ball up on my shoe and I used to be kicking, making them from 50 yards,” he stated. “We took movies, despatched it to our highschool coach, and I performed senior yr.”
He went on to grow to be first-team all-league, setting a faculty report for made area targets (7-of-9) and changing all 38 of his additional factors. Now he’s kicking at Ford Subject.
“As soon as he made the dedication, it was full steam forward,” Popolo, 24, who performed at Division-III Juniata Faculty (Pa.), stated in a Friday telephone interview. “We went to loads of showcases and trainers collectively and he took benefit of it.”
DeAngelis kicked for 2 years in faculty at Division III William Paterson, close to house, after initially committing to Monmouth as a most popular walk-on. Then he transferred to Penn State and was considered one of three walk-ons on James Franklin’s 2017 Nittany Lions roster.
That was Saquon Barkley’s 11-2, Fiesta Bowl successful Penn State workforce that rose to No. 2 nationally and completed No. 8 within the nation. DeAngelis needed to sit out that season as a switch, although, and couldn’t carry sufficient credit over from Paterson to get eligible from 2018.
Then the pandemic hit in his draft yr of 2020. DeAngelis’ agent on the time instructed him he’d spoken with the Lions. Nothing materialized. However DeAngelis wouldn’t give up.
He went to teach Gary Zauner’s annual particular groups camp in Arizona in 2020 and attended the HUB free agent camp in Los Angeles final October. He has labored out alongside professionals, together with Koo.
Nothing has promoted his expertise, nonetheless, like his personal hustle on TikTok.
“It was once you simply shared your sport tape via [the highlight application] Hudl,” stated Popolo, an underwriter for Webster Financial institution in Manhattan. “However now social media’s grow to be such a device in so some ways. Coaches are on it… That is unimaginable. [Nick] is so deserving due to his work ethic, persistence, the time he’s put in.”
Who is aware of if Saturday’s showcase at Ford Subject, plastered on DeAngelis’ TikTok web page for the world to see, will immediate an NFL workforce to name him for a exercise. Crazier issues have occurred.
“I at all times say if I ever make it, we’ll make a film,” DeAngelis stated.
He appears fairly good at that.
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