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FSU's Xavier Beitia has received support from fans and one of three Wide Right kickers.
By JASON SCHNEIDER
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 17, 2002
Speaking with reporters for the first time since missing what would have been the winning field goal against Miami on Saturday, Florida State kicker Xavier Beitia accepted the blame.
"I missed the kick," Beitia said Wednesday. "No excuses."
Beitia's miss, dubbed Wide Left I, had the sophomore in tears for hours after the game, but support from his teammates and a phone call from one of the few people who truly understands what he is going through has helped Beitia wake up from his nightmare.
"Matt Munyon (who missed what would have been a tying kick against Miami two years ago) called me and told me that I don't realize it now, but I'll be so much better because of it," Beitia said. "He said he uses the memory of it every day for motivation. He said he's gotten so much stronger and just works so much harder because of it."
Unlike Gerry Thomas in 1991, Dan Mowrey in '92 and Munyon in 2000, Beitia has had it a bit easier than the three who are part of the Wide Right curse. Instead of taking out their frustrations on him, fans have been supportive.
Fans have printed signs that read, "X still marks the spot" in reference to his first name, and plan to bring them to the next game, Oct. 26 against Notre Dame.
"I've got thousands of e-mails, but only a few have been like, 'Nice kick, choker,' " Beitia said. "Other than that everyone's been great."
Along with the support, Beitia has the talent previous kickers lacked.
"(Beitia) has so much more potential than (Thomas, Mowrey and Munyon) had," coach Bobby Bowden said. "The one that had the hardest time with it was Thomas. The rest of them, it hurts at that time and naturally it's still brought to their attention because that's the way it happens at Florida State."
Now the only pressure for the Jesuit alum comes from himself, as he tries to get over the miss and deal with the countless replays and questions.
"I thought the challenge was making the kick, but the real challenge has been getting over it," Beitia said.
Beitia ended speculation that long-snapper Patrick Sawyer or holder Chance Gwaltney played a role in the miss.
"The snap was low but people don't realize that we are supposed to be seven yards back when we are kicking a field goal, and we were 8 1/2 yards back then," Beitia said.
As for the hold, which looked to be at a 45-degree angle, Beitia said that's the way he likes it and credited Gwaltney for giving him a shot to make the kick.
"The actual hold was fine," Beitia said. "It would have been different if (Gwaltney) struggled to get the ball down, but it was down. I had all the time in the world."
Mowrey, who missed a 39-yarder on the last play at Miami, said he intends to contact Beitia and impart a healthy perspective.
"Right now I'm not sure there's a lot I can say to him to make him feel any different whatsoever," said Mowrey, 30, a lawyer in the state attorney's office in St. Augustine. "He's got to deal with it on his own terms for a little while." Mowrey admits he was devastated after his miss, but he talked to friends and dealt with it.
"It would be ridiculous to let one kick control the rest of your life," he said. "I have fond memories of other kicks I had at FSU. I have fond memories of my last game at Doak Campbell Stadium when we came back against Florida (in 1994) and tied them 31-31. Granted, my last kick at Doak Campbell Stadium was an extra point, but I kicked the extra point to tie the game. Nobody ever asks me about that. That's just the way it is. Being a kicker, you involve yourself in that position and you know the odds. It's all or nothing."
Thomas, an FSU booster and Tampa attorney, has handled his miss differently over the years.
"I think Gerry took it the hardest, I really do," Bowden said, "because I've seen less of Gerry."
While he hit the clinching field goal against Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl after the '91 season, Thomas gave up football before the '92 season. Bowden said he intended to give him a scholarship. Thomas has politely refused interview requests since his playing days but last year talked briefly to the Times.
"What's past is past," he said. "I'm not bitter about any part of my career. I'm happy about my career. I just don't worry about being famous or infamous."
-- Staff writer Brian Landman contributed to this report.