It was a dreamlike 2014 season for second-year kicker Josh Lambert, as he was brilliant for the Mountaineers. But what is he going to do for an encore in 2015?

 

Everyone knows how Lambert emerged last year to have one of the best single-season kicking performances in WVU football history. The junior was a Lou Groza Award finalist and earned multiple All-America honors, while breaking the NCAA record for most field goals made of 40 yards or more in a season (16) and tying the NCAA season record for most contests with multiple field goals made in a game (10).

 

What about now?

 

“Last year I felt like I could’ve done a lot better,” Lambert said. “I missed nine field goals, which is unacceptable. I want to build on last season. I did a lot of good things, but some bad things too. I stay motivated because I’m not completely happy with what happened.”

 

How does he do better? Lambert has continued to work on his mechanics and strengthening his leg to last the duration of the season.

 

“Over time you find what works and what doesn’t, so you’ll find little tweaks here and there and you start to like certain things and mold it into your own style.

 

“We do a lot of stretching,” Lambert said. “They bought new machines specifically for specialists to use - Pilates machines, yoga. We lift like the rest of the team, but we try and put an emphasis on stretching.”

 

One of the toughest things he has needed to have is the icewater-in-veins mentality that is a necessity for kickers. For Lambert, it is just something that he was born with and has used to his advantage, hitting three game-winning field goals during his first two seasons.

 

“I can’t explain it. When I go out there I can’t tell you what anyone has said,” Lambert said. “If the other team is talking trash while I’m out there, I can’t hear them. I can’t hear the crowd; everything is just silent.”

 

One of Lambert’s greatest gifts is his ability to use repetition when kicking. No matter the type, Lambert puts the same amount of thump into each and every kick.

 

"I kick every kick the same, whether it’s an extra point or a 55-yard field goal,” Lambert explained. “Every kick is the same, that way you stay consistent.”

 

As he enters his junior year, his name has been consistently creeping up the record book for kicking categories, something that he believes is all well and good, but he is playing for the team, not for individual awards.

 

“All of that is good, but I’m just here to help my team win and whatever comes with that is a bonus,” Lambert said. “I think this season is going to be very exciting, it’s going to be fun to watch.”