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Kick for Cash contestant finds field goals are harder than they look

Football placekickers are a beleaguered bunch. They receive little fanfare, except for game-winning 60-yarders, and earn the wrath of fans and media alike should they flub an extra point or a chip-shot field goal.

Plenty of gridiron observers think that, given a bit of instruction, they could do just as well as those skinny little non-athletes with no shoulder pads and foreign last names. Seamus Morgan knows better.

For the past five days, Seamus has spent the vast majority of his free time kicking field goals. On Saturday, between the first and second quarters of the Florida State/Virginia game, the fourth-year College student will trot onto the Scott Stadium grass and try his hand - or, more specifically, his right foot - at a 40-yard field goal that could net him $50,000.

For a 23-year-old kid on his first voyage into the world of Garo Ypremian, the learning curve has been steep. Seamus has been practicing since he learned last Saturday that his name had been drawn in the Team Virginia Kick for Cash contest, but his career high stands at about 30 yards right now.

"I always knew there was something to it, but I thought there was some mysterious secret," the Alexandria, Va., native said. "Now I know it's just a lot of repetitions."

This year, the kick is even more difficult than usual. John Weeks won the cash at the North Carolina game last November, but he booted a 35-yarder with the help of a kickoff tee. Seamus will kick from five yards back without a tee as mandated by Global Specialties Risk, who took over this year as the insurance company in charge of doling out the prize. He is banned from practicing at Scott Stadium, even as he waits on the sideline during the first quarter Saturday.

No one with high school or college football or soccer experience was allowed to enter. That prohibition extended even to workout partners: Cavalier kickoff man David Greene agreed to help Seamus work on his form, but that also was nixed by the insurance company.

Seamus, who helps out in the Sports Information Department, didn't think much of it when he walked across the hall to Cavalier Sports Marketing and filled up a few entry forms.

Then Saturday night, Seamus got the good news while he was home for the weekend. He had exactly one week - almost to the hour - before he would get his chance at $50,000, so he found a book on kicking and headed for the local high school field to test his leg in the dark.

"I don't think I was as excited as some of my friends," Seamus said. "I took it as something to work on. I'm not really nervous right now"

Seamus didn't get too much accomplished that night, but he's made more headway back in Charlottesville. Using a pair of borrowed soccer cleats and practicing with a holder who had some high school experience, he tried anything he could. He practiced at Carr's Hill Field, at the U-Hall Turf Field and in his bedroom, kicking into a mattress propped up against the door.

He tried kicking it soccer style with the inside of his foot. He has tried coming at the ball head on and kicking it with his toe. He tried a three-step stride and a five-step stride. He's still got some kinks to work out.

Even if he misses, Seamus will receive an armful of consolation prizes. He says he doesn't even want to think about the grand prize.

"I'm not even thinking about the money," he said. "It's a waste of time."

Seamus usually spends football games driving photographers around in a golf cart for the Sports Information Department. But this Saturday, he'll be pacing the sideline, perfecting his form.

"When it comes time, I'm just going to keep my head down and run out and look at the ball," Seamus said. "I'll go out there and give it a boot."

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