Where Are They Now: Julian Diaz kicking off for the Wolf Pack

Former Lincoln High School placekicker, Julian Diaz, is now punting and kicking in his final season as a Wolf Pack member at University of Nevada, Reno with hopes to continue his career at the professional level. "My goals are to win the Mountain West Championship and as an individual to be the best punter/kickoff specialist in the nation, helping my team to the best of my ability with every opportunity I get," Diaz said. "My plan after college is to get a shot at the next level being the National Football League." Football wasn't the first sport Diaz played as he was a soccer player from age 4 until age 18. He began playing football in his freshman year of high school before he took his sophomore year off. Diaz returned to football his junior year when his older brother, who was on varsity at the time, got him back into the game. His biggest motivation is his parents and his favorite player is Cleveland Browns punter Jamie Gillan. Diaz was a part of the 2016 Zebras team that won the league championship for the first time since 2009. In his senior season, Diaz hit 41 out of 47 extra points and made two field goals. He also kicked 39 touchbacks and averaged over 32 yards per punt. "Being a part of that Lincoln team is a huge accomplishment for me," Diaz said. "It means a lot to be a part of a title team, as that banner will hang in there for as long as Lincoln High is around." In the game against Placer that won Lincoln the league banner, Diaz went six for seven on extra points and kicked eight touchbacks. "The first time I watched him kick a ball, I could tell he was special," former Lincoln coach Chris Bean said. "I remember people at our Ponderosa games stopping and watching him kick off and being blown away. No one watches the kicker in pregame warmups, but they did for Julian Diaz." After high school, Diaz kicked for American River College in Sacramento. In his two years with the Beavers, he converted 16 field goals with his longest being 47 yards and made 90 percent of extra point attempts. He ranked second in California for kickoffs, averaging 61.4 yards per kick. "He showed his ability to be a dominant force to flip the field like you'd ask for a good special teams player and was a tremendous athlete on top of that," American River coach Jon Osterhout said. Osterhout was a graduate assistant at the University of Nebraska in 2006, the same year current Nevada head coach Jay Norvell served as the offensive coordinator. "I've seen what it looks like at that level and he (Diaz) had all the intangibles," Osterhout said. "He's competitive and committed to the process." Diaz got the opportunity to play at Nevada when their assistant coach at the time, Angus McClure came to American River and spoke with Diaz. Diaz then went on a visit to Nevada in July 2019. "All of the coaches were very welcoming and helped the whole process go smoothly, making for an easy transition," Diaz said. He was also recruited by Nicholls State, Oregon State, Texas State and Sacramento State, but ultimately chose Nevada as it was one of his dream schools when he was younger. As a junior in 2019, Diaz kicked off in 12 of the 13 games Nevada played and averaged 59 yards per kickoff. In 2020, the Wolf Pack played a limited season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Diaz punted the ball 23 times in 2020, landing 11 inside the 20-yard-line with only one touchback. In the Wolf Pack's 26-21 win against San Diego State last November, Diaz averaged 55.2 yards on five punts with four dropping inside the 20 and was named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week. Diaz found last season to be "difficult" as there were no fans in stadiums and facility use was limited. "All athletes as a whole were dealing with this situation as well as everyone else, so we just had to adapt and overcome the situation we were all in and play the best season we could," Diaz said. When he learned he was eligible to play another season, Diaz worked on his game, watched film and improved on leg strength, along with technique and fundamentals. So far this season, Diaz is averaging 42 yards per punt and has 11 touchbacks in his 12 kick offs. One aspect about Nevada is that it's only 114 miles and two hours away from Lincoln. "Personally, I love going to a school that's nationally recognized, which has always been a dream of mine and it's also a plus that it's close enough to my hometown," Diaz said. "Nevada is one of the two only universities in the state, which makes the city very involved in the whole program." Outside of football, Diaz likes to spend his time with his fiance, family and friends and enjoys being outdoors. Diaz is thankful for the support he has received from his peers back home. "My family has done nothing but support me through this journey and never misses out on any games, which is a great feeling," Diaz said. "The community of Lincoln still plays an impact on me both as a player and person by having a small- town mindset. This has pushed me to always work hard and is proof that no matter where you come from, you can do what you set your mind to." Diaz has nine games left in his collegiate career. His next game is on Saturday against Boise State on the road, a game that his former coach Bean plans on attending. "He has a certain magnetism about him and everything that he did screamed next level," Bean said. "It was his work ethic, respect, attitude and accountability. He's an awesome young man."