Edwardsville's Riley Patterson gearing up for NFL season

Edwardsville Kickers graduate and NFL place kicker Riley Patterson is back home kicking on the turf of the District 7 Sports Complex as he begins his fourth season as a kicker in the NFL.

Before he was an NFL kicker, Patterson rook the field not for the NFL team that drafted or signed him, but for the Edwardsville Tigers on Friday nights. He made the field goal which won the Southwestern Conference title in the final year in 2015, earning a 6-0 record He was part of the team’s last title as a junior kicking the decisive 27-yard field goal in the final quarter that secured the 23-20 overtime victory over Oak Park-River Forest in the Class 8A opening round as a senior in 2016.

Still prior, Patterson or rather Prince was sprinting around the District 7 Sports Complex turf with dreams of playing soccer in college.

Patterson continued his testimony: “Before arriving to high school, before soccer, I was like that, running around the field with my friends. ” “Returning to that specific location, it kind of reminds me of the actual games and the practices as well as just fooling around with the boys. ”

I have a little something that doesn’t sow a seed of enmity, or of bitterness between us; it is enough for me to be; able to remember such a thing as that and not be irritated.

Although soccer may have been Patterson’s childhood sport, the road led him being in football.

Since Patterson made his initial start at the NFL match with the Detroit Lions on November 25, 2021, the player has been affiliated with three organizations and featured in 39 regular-season matches and two matches with the Browns in the last season. He is returning to the Jaguars this year after the team drafted him for the 2022 season.

“What an eye opener it has been, it has been lots of fun, believe me I’ve had my fair share of thrills the past couple of years,” Patterson said. “Gladly, I have been privileged where every time I am let out of a team I immediately join another one. ”

Thus, during his career, he has 59 of 67 field goal attempts with the maximum 53 yards. He is 93 for 97 in terms of extra-point tries.

In 2023, Patterson kicked well while playing for Lions in their first 13 games of the season; he converted 15 field goals from 17 attempts and 35 extra points from 37 attempts; however, Patterson was released on December 19. He dressed in two games of the regular season for the Browns, and kicked successfully two out of two extra points in an AFC Wild Card game against the Texans of Houston.

‘Playoff games are definitely different,’ Patterson said. “It seems to be generally more interesting with what I would call a slight energy about it. Occasionally you can have that for some of the regular season games but not all of them. The playoff games are what you play for.

“Competing in Houston against a team that entering the match, it would be safe to say, was hot, it was special, yes, it was different. ”

Patterson is no stranger to this time of year either Parrish believes the Titans are ready for the postseason.

2022, Jacksonville, with the game tied at 30-30, he kicked a 36-yard field goal with no time remaining to lead the Jaguars to beat the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL wild-card round.

The Jaguars were down 27-0 the time remaining was 4:25 in the second quarter. Third biggest NFL postseason comebacks after the Buffalo Bills trailed the Houston Oilers 35–3 in the 1993 AFC wild card game and the Indianapolis Colts trailing the Kansas City Chiefs, 45–3 in the 2014 AFC wild card game.

Two years later, Patterson is back with Jacksonville.

“Well, we certainly do, here,” said Patterson. “My wife and I have really good friends here. We have made successful team here and the team is great. I am looking forward to enjoying the team again. ”

In Jacksonville, Patterson will most likely be kicking for a team that let go the kicker they signed after Patterson left after the 2022 season. Chandler, Brandon McManus joined the club on a one-year contract in 2023. He inked his rookie contract with the Washington Commanders in March.

“We all gathered all the information that we needed and then, when we realized that this is the place we were going to be in Patterson said everybody was excited.

Nevertheless, Patterson will not find himself completely competing with the following folks.

In the 2024 NFL Draft Jaguars signed Arkansas’ kicker Cam Little, selected in the sixth round with the 212th pick.

The Jacksonville coach Doug Pederson admitted that both kickers will be given an opportunity to gain the role of the team kicker.

“We’re giving them equal opportunity on the field,”; Pederson in a May press conference. I think what we’re doing now, is when we’re having kicking days here, they are getting equal chances, whether it is field goal kicking or kickoff kicking.

“It is competition, but at the same time, it is giving everyone some work and determining where they are at the same time Both have been good.

Patterson has been busy this off-seasonjust to make sure that he is the winner.

“The offseason has been great” Patterson the great defensive end responded. “I am completely fine physically, actually I anticipate the fall camp and I have been training anywhere I find. ”

That includes at EHS, for example, Patterson has either been tumbling on the turf kicking the ball or lifting weights.

“Once OTAs finished we had to return to Edwardsville and settle for a house We have been practicing at the high school on a weekly basis,” replied Patterson.

A week ago, Patterson was in San Diego exercising.

“I am training with roughly 30 other fellow professional, whether it is kickers, punters and snappers,” Patterson proceeded to say. “Whenever you are able to hook it up with the professionals you are in a position to cover a lot of ground and it’s very rigorous. ”

Patterson also intends to take a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for the training.

Jacksonville begins the training camp of its players on the 24th of July at Miller Electric Center. Patterson asked him how he will handle the pressure and the latter said he will be ready.

“As for the next opportunity, I feel lucky to be getting them and as much as possible, make the best out of the next ones,” Patterson mentioned. “This is hopefully the last one and this is just the best that we can do to hold on through this one if there is another one, then I shall try my best for it. ”