ASU’s Zane Gonzalez on record-breaking course

by Paola Boivin

By LINDSEY WISNIEWSKI
Cronkite News

TEMPE — Arizona State kicker Zane Gonzalez is used to breaking records. The four-year starter marks them off like notches in a belt.

Gonzalez entered his final season with 386 career points, the best in ASU history. He also holds the top three single-season scoring marks for ASU kickers.

And even before Gonzalez put on a Sun Devil uniform, the Texas native shattered records at Deer Park High School near Houston, where he holds the standard for consecutive field goals made with a 26-kick streak.

But there’s one notch left to be carved at Arizona State: the school’s all-time field goal record of 81 held by Luis Zendejas since 1984.

Gonzalez currently ranks 17th on the NCAA career list with 76 field goals, just six field goals shy of breaking Zendejas 32-year ASU record. However, he’s only three field goals away from passing Zendejas on the NCAA’s list of all-time leaders, which excludes field goals made in bowl games. Zendejas’ ASU record includes three field goals in the 1983 Fiesta Bowl.

The record books could be rewritten as early as Saturday when Arizona State hosts Texas Tech in Tempe.

“I definitely think it’s possible the way our offense is playing,” Gonzalez said. “It will be unspeakable, but we’ll see when it actually happens.”

If Gonzalez has success in his senior season typical of his first three, he’ll make a run at the NCAA record of 88 career field goals held by former Florida State player Dustin Hopkins.

High expectations

Gonzalez attributes most of his football success to his relationship with ASU coach Todd Graham. According to Gonzalez, Graham set the expectations high during the recruiting process, before Gonzalez ever stepped on Frank Kush Field at Sun Devil Stadium.

“Coach Graham always told me I’d be the leading (field goal) scorer in the nation,” Gonzalez said. “But you just didn’t know if it was recruiting talk.”

Gonzalez now knows it wasn’t just recruiting hype. Over the years, Graham has built a special bond with his kickers, including Gonzalez, and claims he’s a little looser with them.

“I think I’m close to Zane and to Matt (Haack) and to (Mitchell) Fraboni,” Graham said of his kicker, punter and long snapper, respectively.

“They go through tackling drills, they go through everything like everybody else does. They do everything in the weight room. So I’ve got a lot of respect for those guys. It’s a very challenging job.”

Gonzalez has an even bigger advocate than Graham and that’s Zendejas, who says he’s been watching the Gonzalez kick since Gonzalez was a freshman.

Zendejas admires his pursuer’s style and attention to detail, even while warming up to take “maybe one kick for the week.”

“Just so much dedication he puts into kicking,” Zendejas said. “That’s the reason he deserves to break this record . . .”

About time

Zendejas, who now works as the senior director of community relations for the Arizona Cardinals, was named a consensus All-American after his junior season at ASU in 1983, when he made 28 field goals.

He held nearly all of the school’s kicking records by the time he left, including becoming the first Arizona State player to kick 20 or more field goals in multiple seasons. He also set a number of NCAA records, including the one for career points at the time with 380, a mark Gonzalez passed last season.

The current field goal record holder says he’s been looking forward to the day another kicker would surpass his mark, and there will be no hard feelings when Gonzalez surpasses it. In fact, he expects it.

“It’s about time,” Zendejas said. “I want to be alive when somebody does that. And Zane’s definitely the best kicker for that.”

Gonzalez says breaking the record on Saturday would be a dream come true as he will be playing in front of his family visiting from Texas. But right now he says he’s not focused on the record, but rather on making his mark in front of Texas Tech.

“You always have a little grudge from not getting any offers or any looks from Texas schools,” Gonzalez said. “But I’m excited, my family will be out here for it. I have a lot friends that go to Texas Tech so just getting the exposure and getting to play against them will be awesome.”

Graham and Zendejas believe that Gonzalez can break the NCAA record held by Hopkins, who also is from the Houston area.

“He’s had a heck of a career — done a great job and not finished yet,” Graham said of Gonzalez.

“It’s not even just breaking my record. It’s making it as far as you possibly can,” Zendejas said. “Hopefully his can last another 35 years or so.”