Growing up as a youth soccer standout in Oklahoma, Cam Little dreamed of life on the soccer field.
Now a rising star in a different kind of football, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ kicker tried out his old skills once more at Sporting Club Jacksonville women’s soccer practice on Sept. 16.
Little visited with the Gainbridge Super League club following their regularly-scheduled morning practice, participating in juggling drills as well as shooting accuracy challenges from the center line and from the top of the penalty area. He also lined up for photos with the team and received a commemorative Sporting Jax jersey from team captain Sophie Jones.
“It was a great experience, and he’s a big soccer fan, so I think it was kind of cool to talk about soccer with him as well,” Sporting Jax midfielder Sophia Boman said.
Little, whose 70-yard field goal in the Jaguars’ Aug. 9 preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers would have broken the NFL record had it occurred in a regular-season contest, had plenty of leg for the soccer challenges. As for accuracy on the longest shots? Just a bit outside.
The kicker tested his shooting against Sporting Jax’s Jones, center back Georgia Brown — the 6-2 defender actually stands slightly taller than the NFL player — and the eventual challenge champion, goalkeeper Jamie Gerstenberg.
Little is no newcomer to the soccer field. He played high-level youth soccer until focusing on kicking on the gridiron in his mid-teens, and continues to follow the sport.
“Now the fact that I’m kicking a football every day, it’s so much different now kicking a soccer ball. I was spraying them right, totally different technique,” Little said. “But it was really fun.”
Sporting Jax next plays at home Sept. 19 in an exhibition against Kansas City Current II. Little and the Jaguars face the Houston Texans at EverBank Stadium at 1 p.m. Sept. 21.
“I think it’s really neat that they [the Jaguars] can come out and show their support to us,” Sporting Jax coach Stacey Balaam said.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars football kicker Cam Little tries foot at Sporting Jax soccer practice
Reporting by Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
