As we continue to countdown to kickoff at Virginia Tech on September 3rd, i decided to rank the Most Important Flames. Admittedly, I got this idea from Virginia Tech beat-writer Andy Bitter who’s doing the same thing for the Hokies. This is a list of the players whose success is most crucial for Liberty doing well this season. It’s not a list of the best or most talented Flames, but most important. Keep that in mind as we go through this countdown.
There’s been plenty of discussion surrounding Probert this offseason as the Flames look to find John Lunsford’s replacement. Alex is a 5’9”, 170 pound kicker from Andover, Minnesota. He chose Liberty over several schools including Army. Probert was named Lunsford’s replacement as starting kicker before he even arrived on campus following the conclusion of spring practice.
While Probert doesn’t have the leg strength, at this time, of John Lunsford, he may prove to be a more accurate kicker inside of 50 yards. Coach Gill says he can hit the 50+ yard field goals if needed, but in side of 50 yards he will be tremendously accurate. He also has the leg strength to reach the end zone on his kickoffs, maybe not to the degree that Lunsford did, but he can still reach the end zone on occasion. Of course, so much of the kicking game is mental. We haven’t seen how Probert will react when the lights are on.
So many games are decided by such a small margin. A field goal, or a well-placed kick, can be the difference in winning and losing.
