His wrestling prowess attracted recruiting offers from Stanford and Brown. Blewett says that his dedication to kicking—combined with his desire to live a relatively normal physical life—led to a decision in favor of Harvard and the gridiron.

“I think it was going to be Stanford wrestling or Harvard football,” Blewett says. “But wrestling didn’t appeal because of the work I’d put into kicking. I also thought it would coordinate better with a college lifestyle—not having to cut weight, not having the same intense workout—and being a college placekicker was my dream since I was about ten years old.” He adds that he does not regret his choice.

According to Blewett, there is a very clear link between his less physical kicking experience and his battles on the mat. And, as one would expect with Blewett, the similarities he cites are entirely mental.

“I think that the same ideas and mindgames went into preparation for wrestling matches as they do for kicking,” he says. “Wrestling allowed me to go out there and overcome those fears, to experience failure and success.”

He also likens his return after his struggles last year to his ability to come back after a lost bout.

“I lost wrestling matches—a lot of wrestling matches,” Blewett says. “But I always came back to win wrestling matches. I lost close matches, heartbreakers, state championship matches, everything there was, and I always came back to win another big match. You’re not going to win them all, but I feel it’s important to experience both the failures and the victories along the way.”

Blewett also uses his background to reinforce his self-image. He says he feels that a number of his problems last year were caused by a lack of confidence in himself as an athlete, and that realizing his own worth in that regard helped him immeasurably.

“Coming in here, you get stereotyped immediately as a non-athlete, an amateur kicker,” Blewett says. “That was difficult for me to cope with—just coming in as a third-string kicker when I was Johnny Football Hero back at home was definitely a humbling experience, and it took my a while to break out of that.”

He singles Kingston as one of his closest friends on the team, chiefly because the two of them have shared the need to establish themselves as athletes, not merely as kickers. Kingston, for his part, agrees.

“Usually, kickers don’t get very much respect,” Kingston says. “We establish ourselves so that we are respected, even just in the way we consider ourselves athletes. And we’re more of a presence on the field than more kickers are, not just sitting by and watching but being a part of it.”

Anders Theater

Blewett makes himself a part of every interaction he has on the football team, and does it in the most quirky manner possible.

“Anders Blewett is larger than life,” Kingston says. “You never know what to expect. Like in practice after he hit a field goal against Dartmouth. He hit another one and just started running all over the field, his hands on his helmet. You never know what he’ll do.”

The kicker is fully aware of his own eccentricities. “I wouldn’t say I’m one of the more vocal guys on the team,” he says. “I would say I’m the most unpredictable. I’m kind of spontaneous; I like to mix it up sometimes. I don’t even know half the time what’s going on.”