Tiger Kicker Mevis Honored For All-American Selection
Tiger Kicker Mevis Honored For All-American Selection
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Mark Howe-
Tiger Kicker Mevis Honored For All-American SelectionWhile the honor had been announced weeks ago, Warsaw senior kicker Harrison Mevis was recognized in front of the student body for having earned a spot in the Under Armour All-American football game in Orlando, Fla. during a convocation in the Tiger Den Thursday morning.
Mevis had the chance to address his fellow students, and in a press conference afterward he was thankful for the support of his peers and especially his teammates.
“It means a lot. I wouldn’t be able to do it without them and their support,” said Mevis. “It’s a big deal for the team, the school and everyone and it’s an honor to represent the school.
Of the 100 All-American spots, Mevis is the only representative from Indiana. Just two student-athletes made the team from bordering states.
Yet Mevis isn’t the only one to be named an All-American in his house. Three years ago, his older brother Andrew earned the same honor, and is now playing at Fordham. While the award is the same, the younger sibling said it’s not the same now that he’s in the spotlight, rather than the audience.
“It’s pretty different. Honestly, I was really proud of where he was at as a kicker and what he accomplished, and see where he went with it,” the current Warsaw Tiger said. “He was an All-American, and I’m following in his footsteps. But I wouldn’t be here without him, so I have to give a lot of credit to him.”
“(I learned) the work ethic in the offseason and how much work it takes to be a kicker. as a freshman I was like ‘ok, I can hit a big ball.’ But can I hit it consistently and can I do a good job and put my team in the best position possible?
“In the offseason, I didn’t think there was as much (to practice), I thought it was more weight room stuff. But you gotta get out and kick every single day you’re not already doing something. You can’t (take a day off), you have to do something every day, get in the weight room and do something to get better every single day.
“That’s another thing I learned from Andrew; he grinds really well and is a hard worker.”
Mevis said the All-American designation is the culmination of a three-year goal he set for himself while watching his older brother accept accolades and enjoy success.
While the goal was a part of helping his team succeed, there’s an element of surrealness to the whole thing.
“I think about it and it’s like ‘wow, I can’t believe I’ve done this.’ It’s something that I’ll look (back) and know I did my best, and the results are coming through,” he said.
“It’s a big honor, but the work is just starting. This is the bar for high school, but there’s a whole other level to it. It’s awesome to see where I’m at and see where I’ve gone with it, but the work is just starting, so we’ll see.”
Mevis said the plan is to sign his letter of intent and graduate next month, then head to central Missouri to enroll and start getting acclimated to college life, begin working out with his new teammates and, hopefully, earn an opportunity to play in the spring game.
The Under Armour All-American game has a long list of players who went on to play and have successful careers in the National Football League. While Mevis would certainly accept a tryout for a pro team, his focus is on two things; helping the Warsaw Tigers go as far as possible in the postseason, and then kicking well at the University of Missouri, a member of the Southeastern Conference, considered by many to be the most competitive college conference in the country.
“Every player dreams of playing at the biggest level, but you need to worry about where you are right now, and if it comes, then yeah, why not?” Mevis said. “But I gotta sign with Missouri, get down there and get started with the work.“
Bart Curtis, Warsaw head football coach for the last two seasons, knows he has a rare talent in the senior kicker. In his high school career to date, Mevis has missed just three of 107 extra points, is 16-for-28 in field goal attempts, and over the last two seasons his kickoffs have gone out of the end zone 81% of the time, forcing teams to start at their own 20-yard line.
“He is a weapon with his leg, and it’s so nice to know that if (opponents) have to score, they have to go 80 yards,” Curtis said.
The coach is quick to deflect undue praise for Mevis and his accomplishments.
“The one thing I can say I did for Harrison Mevis is tell him ‘if you’re going to wear a football uniform, you’re going to (weight) lift with the football team. And he never missed a workout all winter or all spring, and I think he put some leg strength on,” Curtis said.
“The hours he put in to perfect his trade, people will never understand the amount of time he’s out on that field. It’s incredible what he has accomplished, and he’s as good as anybody I’ve ever seen. And obviously the leg strength and size; he looks like a defensive lineman and he has such power behind that leg. It’s well deserved, and Missouri is getting someone that’s very special, not only as a football player but as a person.
“Everything he gets, he deserves.”
The game will kick off in Orlando’s Camping World Stadium at 6 p.m. Jan. 2 and will be telecast on ESPN2. For those in the Orlando area then, free tickets are available online at uafootball.us/tickets.
