Winner By a Foot: Peyton Henry Impressively Retained Kicking Job

Husky kicker has overcome all obstacles -- devastating defeat, strong competition

University of Washington walk-on placekicker Peyton Henry trotted onto the field in Eugene, Oregon, with the score tied at 24.

Three seconds remained.

Thirty-seven yards separated the Huskies from victory over hated Oregon.

A chip shot for a college kicker.

A sure thing for this left-footer.

The snap was good. The hold was good. The kick was not.

Two years ago, Henry's kick curled right and missed, forcing overtime, which the Ducks won 30-27.

An errant field goal was one thing, but blowing a chance to put away Washington's most hated football rival could have been a career-killer.

It almost seemed that Henry's head, or leg, was on the block when the Huskies went out and awarded a scholarship to another kicker, Tim Horn, from Honolulu, Hawaii. 

And gave him No. 37.

Except a funny thing happened on the way to kicking purgatory. 

Henry held off all challenges, retained the job and even earned his own scholarship.

He had a 2019 season reminiscent of UW kicking great Chuck Nelson, shown in the video discussing the new generation.

Henry connected on 19 of 21 three-pointers and made all 49 of his extra-point kicks.

"I'm not going to dwell on one kick," he said. "It doesn't define me or my career."

This is another in a series of profiles on prospective UW football starters. While spring practice has been canceled or postponed because of the pandemic, Husky Maven/Sports Illustrated will continue to provide uninterrupted coverage.

Henry was one of the compelling success stories for the Huskies during an 8-5 season that otherwise did little to thrill the masses. 

His finest moment came in the second game of the season against California, on a night marked by an extended lightning delay. With 3:52 left to play, he drilled a career-best 49-yarder to put his team up 19-17. Unfortunately, the UW defense couldn't keep the Bears from matching it and winning 20-19.

The following week, the Husky coaching staff presented a surprised Henry with a full ride, giving the UW a pair of scholarship placekickers, a rarity for any major-college program.

"That was an awesome feeling," he said. "Something I had dreamed of my whole time here."

Entering his junior season, Henry has the upper hand. Horn, who handled kickoffs only as a freshman, will continue to push him. 

But the thing about Henry is he knows how to push back. Or kick back.

"I definitely think I'm stronger mentally," he said. 

 All the way down to his toes.

SUMMARY: Henry, a walk-on with the Oregon setback on his resume, seemed like a short-timer. He showed grit and kept his job in impressive fashion.

GRADE (1 to 5): This California kid gets a 3.5. He grades high for resilience. He could up his score by showing more range with the Huskies. His high school long was 52.