Meyer the Tiger: Colfax kicker is SEC bound

By this time next year, Colfax High School senior Robert Meyer will be living a very different life than he is today. Meyer will take the field in front of 62,000 rabid fans and his black and green falcons wings will be exchanged for black and gold tiger stripes. Meyer, a five-star kicker, is committed to play football at the University of Missouri. He says he chose the Tigers over Oklahoma State, UC Davis and Fresno State, noting that something about Columbia captivated him. Meyer says the goal is to make it to the NFL and he knew playing big-time college football would give him the best chance. "The SEC is just like the NFL, just one notch, one notch down. It's the closest thing I can get to the pros for now and I'm gonna take it all in," Meyer said. "It's going to be an awesome experience." Meyer is one of the top weapons in the Pioneer Valley League, having made 14 of 15 extra-point attempts with the lone miss coming on a block. He has also made 5 of 7 field-goal attempts this season, including a school-record 52-yard kick in last week's overtime loss to Wheatland. Meyer has booted 20 of 22 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. He also averages 44.3 yards per punt. "I can't put into words the confidence that Robert gives us. As soon as we cross the 40-yard line, we're in field-goal range. We know on a kickoff that he's going to put it in the end zone," Colfax coach Jason Stowers said. "He doesn't get enough credit, but everything that he does is for the benefit of the team. He is out of this world. Not only is it fun to watch him here, but it's going to be fun to watch him on Saturdays in the SEC." It was an uphill battle for Meyer to get on the radar of some of the top programs in the country. Playing at Division VI Colfax, he had to attend camps across the country to get his name out there, including national showcases at Oregon State, Utah, Texas and more. "I just kept on working. In the summertime, it kind of clicked for me. I went to a couple college camps and went to a couple schools that needed kickers because I knew that I needed to prove myself to them, because from a small school, it's hard to get exposure," Meyer said. "It was a long, long journey. At one point, I took eight flights in one week and then came home to practice with my team, but it was well worth it." Meyer says he plans to graduate early so he can begin attending Mizzou in January and start to work with the team and get familiar with the program. He says he will do whatever it takes to get playing time as quickly as possible and he looks forward to kicking in the national spotlight on Saturday nights. "I will keep on working. I come out with a purpose and I work hard every day, and it never gets boring. It's my job and I'm just gonna keep on progressing. That's all you can really do," Meyer said. "I leave here in under three months to go to do spring ball with the team. I am really excited for the opportunity."