The whole crowd watches and everyone is on their feet. They wait for the extra point to seal the victory. The senior kicker takes a deep breath and takes a step back. Then, he kicks the ball into the uprights. It has been three years since he joined the football program and senior Hector Calderon (47) is slowly building a reputation for himself.

“I first decided to be a kicker when I was in seventh grade at Delay Middle School,” Calderon said. “They saw me as a great athletic person and asked me if I wanted to be a kicker for the football team; I said sure and that’s where I started.”

Calderon’s teammates have seen great improvement in him since freshman year. Most of his teammates have nothing but good things to say about him. His linemen have nothing but respect for him as a person and as a teammate.

“I know Hector as a person on and off the field, and in football, he’s a great kid and a great guy,” senior offensive lineman Hayden Dietrich said. “I love working with him whenever I get a chance to.”

Kickers have game-changing situations they have to play through. Being the varsity kicker was life-changing for Calderon. He has dedicated a majority of his time to being the varsity kicker and works to be the best he can possibly be.

“He’s a great kid; he’s been in the program for three years now [and] he’s always a great joy to be around,” offensive line coach Tracy Fite said. “[He’s] always fun, always got a smile on his face and he’s just a fun guy to be with.” 

While Calderon doesn’t have any offers to play college ball as of right now, he wants to be a kicker at the University of North Texas. He is committed to football and wants to work hard to continue playing. He sees football as part of his future.

“I really see myself kicking at UNT,” Calderon said. “That’s really something I want to accomplish. UNT is my college of choice.”

Calderon is committed to the football program and he puts in work daily. He urges his teammates to put in the same work and effort. He continually wants to get better every day and he shows it.

“We put in the good work and it shows,” Calderon said. “It’s hard work, it’s dedication and it shows.”

Calderon doesn’t take practice lightly; he treats every practice like it’s a game. He likes to practice for game-changing field goals. He also gets extra reps in during practice with the special team’s squad.

“I like to treat the reps like a real-life game, not like its practice,” Calderon said. “I like to put myself in positions during practice to treat it like a real-life game.”