Shouppe signs with BSC

Kickers are on an island unto their own, but this off-season Milton Matt Shouppe was even more difficult until he signed Monday with Birmingham Southern College.

The three-year kicker for the Panthers was being pursued by Mississippi College and Birmingham Southern until the Panthers lost Head Coach Joey Jones to the University of South Alabama.

“It was like a week and a half to two weeks and I didn’t hear from anybody. I felt like I was on my own island,” said Shouppe. “Then Coach Garfinkle decided to keep coach (Joel) Williams and then they decided to keep recruiting me.”

This wasn’t the only time the Milton senior was nervous about a football future.

The first time was when he injured his knee.

“After I hurt my knee I thought any chances of playing in college were over,” said Shouppe, who also played soccer and participated in track. “It wasn’t easy, but I didn’t get real nervous about the whole deal either.”

Shouppe is definitely a different type of player, which is proven by his first varsity appearance being the game winning field goal over Pine Forest three years ago.

“I don’t know what happened,” recalled Milton Head Coach Mike McMillion. “We had two kickers at the game and I decided to put Matt in.
“That jubilation and excitement fueled a great career here at Milton.”

But the biggest think that sticks out in his mind is the game he missed at the end of his sophomore year with a tweeked ankle instead of the game winning field goal.

Shouppe is a continuation of a list of successful Milton kickers that include Lawrence Tynes and Zach Kutch.

“The amazing thing about Matt is he worked a lot by himself,” said McMillion. “He was very diligent and committed while other kids would be going to the beach on the weekend.

“Matt might have gone to the beach, but when he got back he was out there kicking.”

Some of the dedication and diligence Shouppe learned from working one day with Tynes.

“I worked with him my freshman year,” recalled Shouppe. “It is kind of cool to say I worked with a Super Bowl winning kicker.”

“But the thing I remember the most is doing drills as much as you can and sticking with the same routine.”

Shouppe, who is expected to report to practice this summer, does have to make one adjustment before this fall.

“I have to get use to kicking off the ground,” said Shouppe. “Right now it has cost me a little distance, but I am working to get it back.”