If the kick were just a few feet shorter, the latest chapter in the saga of Todd Braverman's Virginia career could have been entitled "Gone with the Wind." Thankfully for the third-year kicker and for the Cavalier fans, the plot took a bit of a twist.
When Braverman's 50-yard, wind-aided field goal cleared the crossbar with 27 seconds left to beat North Carolina, all of the misfortune of the third year's roller-coaster career virtually was erased.
"It's very redeeming," Braverman said. "Everybody questioned me in the past and I wanted to prove to [coach George Welsh] and everybody else that I could do it. Now I have random girls coming up to me in public."
The story certainly was not always so rosy for the 5-foot-7, 167-pound kicker from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Although he kicked a game-winning 30-yard field goal in the third game of last season against Clemson to win 20-18, the glory did not last long. Three weeks later against Georgia Tech, Braverman's 54-yard attempt to tie the game sailed just under the crossbar.
The low point of the season for Braverman, however, was in the Peach Bowl against 19th-ranked Georgia. After missing a crucial extra point in the third quarter, Braverman was given a chance to redeem himself. The Cavaliers had come back from a 35-27 fourth-quarter deficit to make the score 35-33.
Then, with 19 seconds remaining, Virginia drove to the Georgia 31 to set up what was a potentially game-winning field goal. The kick sailed wide right.
"That was a tough time," Braverman said. "I had people sending me negative e-mails, phone calls. The worst thing I heard was on the radio. Some DJ made the joke that, 'After the Peach Bowl, Todd Braverman went home and tried to shoot himself. But he missed wide right.'"
The next preseason, Braverman found himself suddenly competing with David Greene for a starting job he had won last season. Welsh went back and forth between kickers before offering them one final test.
"Welsh had us each kick field goals of 45, 47 and 49 yards in practice with just the snapper, holder and the coach," Braverman said. "That was more nerve-wracking than the game with Welsh standing two feet away."
Both kickers made all three kicks but Braverman got the nod to play against the Tar Heels. But he didn't find out from Welsh.
"Welsh didn't even tell me I had the job," Braverman said. "I found it out on the Internet. I guess Welsh and I have a little agreement where we don't talk. He doesn't like dealing with kickers -- he thinks we're all crazy."
Luckily for Cavalier fans, however, Braverman didn't lose his head during those long summer months and tough preseason. And when given a chance to prove himself early on in the season, the kicker was cool as ice.
"I don't think Todd lets pressure get to him much," third-year quarterback Dan Ellis said. "He's been through so much and seen it all. It's good that Welsh showed confidence in him."
"Todd has a great leg," said safety Shenard Newby, whose key interception Saturday led to a Virginia touchdown. "I know he was capable of making it. A lot of people got down on him but I knew he could make it."
Even the usually reserved Welsh had some praise for Braverman after the game-winning kick.
"Everybody's happy for Braverman," Welsh said. "He took a lot of grief and hung in there."
With such a rapid turn-around in fan and teammate sentiments, many players would be tempted to get over-confident or let their newfound success go to their head. Yet Braverman realizes that his 15 minutes of fame could end quickly if he doesn't keep working.
"Football is about 'what-have-you-done-for-me-lately?'" he said. "I know that if I miss a kick next week, they'll wonder why I'm even here. You can't get too high, can't get too low. I'll just try to make my kicks and take it in stride. I guarantee I'll work just as hard this week as ever"
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