Football Player Scores Athletics Scholarship with Field Goal

In a video posted on Charlotte Football’s twitter account, walk-on kicker Jackson VanSickle steps into a kick and scores a 35-yard field goal. Teammates and coaches jump in celebration and surround VanSickle. He didn’t score in a game, instead he scored a scholarship. The senior Economics major was challenged by Coach Will Healy to make a field goal for his tuition — a dream come true for the kicker.

“Earning this scholarship has been my biggest accomplishment in college. It means so much to me because becoming a Division One scholarship athlete is a goal I set for myself back in high school,” said VanSickle, “It’s hard to put into words how good it feels when you focus on a goal, never give up, and finally achieve it.”

As a student-athlete, VanSickle has taken in many skills that help him balance between class and the team, like leadership, time management and staying focused. “ I’ve learned how to perform and complete tasks under pressure,” he said. “Whether I am facing a tight deadline on a business school presentation or a pressure kick on the field.”

VanSickle will graduate in December 2019, ready to put these lessons into practice as he kick-starts his post-graduate journey.

Photo: Courtesy of UNC Charlotte AthleticsVideo: From UNC Charlotte’s football twitter, @CharlotteFTBL

Check out Jackson and other student-athletes in the latest edition of Belk College Connects!