‘Bama kicker enjoying the spoils

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Jamie Christensen got a standing ovation in class. Neighbors put up banners and balloons at his home.

Alabama’s placekicker went from relative anonymity to campus celebrity in the past two weeks with a pair of game-winning field goals to beat Mississippi and Tennessee.

“I feel like I’m living the dream, honestly. I love it,” Christensen said.

The sophomore walk-on booted a 31-yarder as time expired at Ole Miss and a 34-yarder with 13 seconds left against the Volunteers, breaking ties in both games.

The kicks averted overtime and helped No. 5 Alabama (7-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) remain unbeaten. Neighbors put up banners saying “We’re proud of you, neighbor” and “You saved the day” at his home in Tuscaloosa after the kick against Ole Miss.

“It’s definitely odd for a kicker to get this kind of attention,” said Christensen, named the SEC special teams player of the week. “Kickers don’t ever get recognition – unless you do something bad, of course.”

Christensen is enjoying the attention but knows how quickly things can turn for a kicker. He’s made 10 of 14 field goals in his first season as starter after handling kickoffs last year.

“You never need to get too high or get too low,” Christensen said. “Every kicker is going to have great days, every kicker is going to have bad days. When the opportunity comes, you’ve got make the most of it.”

Christensen turned down soccer scholarships and attended The Naval Academy in Newport, R.I., out of high school in Norcross, Ga.

He made 7 of 8 field goals in 2002, but decided the Navy way of life wasn’t for him.

Christensen’s father ran into Alabama’s director of football operations on a cruise and mentioned that his son was a kicker and wasn’t very happy with his current situation.

Christensen and his father visited the campus, and Christensen came away impressed even though he didn’t know too much about Alabama’s program.

“You could tell they wanted to win,” he said. “It was something I wanted to be a part of.”

Christensen spoke to a number of schools about walking on, including Tennessee, Louisville, Memphis and Notre Dame. Georgia showed some interest after he attended a kicking camp, but none of those opportunities panned out.

He wanted to play football instead of appearing before the sparse crowds at soccer games.

“I just wanted to play something that was a lot bigger in college – pretty much something that the school revolves around, something every one is always excited about,” Christensen said.

“Going to college soccer games, there were just hundreds of people out there. I wanted the pressure, I wanted thousands of people there. I like that kind of environment.”

Christensen has apparently found his niche. He ranks second in the league in field goals and third in scoring by a kicker.

Tide coach Mike Shula said he’s had “obviously the two biggest kicks since we’ve been around here.”

“Everyone’s got a role,” Shula said. “When you play a team sport like this, you’ve got to rely on and trust the individuals that are going to perform for you. You don’t know that until you actually get them out there and put them in that situation.

“Fortunately, we got the field goals to where they were makable enough as far as distance. He came in and did his job with great focus and great concentration.”