How do NFL kickers deal with pressure and failure? We asked three former greats

Few positions in sports face more singular pressure than NFL kickers. The Athletic posed that question to three former greats: Nick Lowery, a member of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Hall of Honor; Matt Stover, who ranks sixth in career made field goals; and Stephen Gostkowski, the 11th most-accurate kicker in league history. “It’s hard enough to do it right every time when you’re in the right state of mind,” Gostkowski said. “If you’re not in the right state of mind, you’re already beat.” All three kickers agreed: The key to dealing with those pressure moments is the thoroughness of preparation before they ever happen. “If you train well and train efficiently,” Stover said, “when you’re out there on the field, you’re prepared, ready to go, and you accept the fact that you’re ready to go.