Ohio kicker among nation's best, headed to Kent State

It's not every day that a running back/linebacker leaves football to go to soccer only to come back to football and emerge as one of the nation's premier specialists, but such is the case for Charlie Durkin.

And, the Archbishop Hoban High School (OH) standout wouldn't have it any other way. At the age of 4, Durkin was introduced to the game of football as a linebacker and running back but was also drawn to the pitch, where he played soccer until the seventh grade.

"My freshman year, my football team needed a kicker just for punts and extra points and I figured I could do it since I had a little soccer background. So I went up and tried it and I was pretty good. I played linebacker and kicker my freshman year, then my sophomore year there wasn’t a kicker on varsity, so the coaches asked me to only do that and I did and it paid off pretty well," Durkin told Heartland Sports Report.

And pay off it did, as the Class of '22 prospect is the a 5-star recruit and ranked as the second punter and third kicker in the Buckeye State and is ranked as the 18th best punter and 36th best kicker in the nation.

The success isn't a surprise to Durkin, who notes it is the result of the work his parents and coaches did to help make him successful.

"When I really started kicking going into my sophomore year, I was really frustrated and wanted to quit because I wasn’t kicking 60 yard field goals and making every one but my parents kept pushing me. Without them pushing me, I wouldn’t be here. My coaches have always believed in me and they were the ones that saw the potential in me. I wouldn’t say I’m surprised by my success but I’m surprised that I found success in kicking because I always imagined myself being a linebacker and hitting people every play but I find ways to do that on kickoff so I’m glad it went the way it did," Durkin acknowledged.

While the pressure can sometimes be too big for specialists, whether it be needing to make a game-winning field goal with a second left on the clock or punting out of the back of the endzone, Durkin always welcomes the pressure, admitting he trusts his talents and instincts to get the job done.

"I’ve been doing this long enough that I trust myself and my ability to do whatever is needed, and I’ve been working with my snapper and holder a lot so I definitely have trust in them," he said.

With his prep career complete, Durkin is ready to take his talents to college, recently committing to Kent State after drawing another offer from Arkansas-Pine Bluff and attention from the likes of Toledo, Cincinnati, Ohio State, Penn, and Louisville. Durkin told HSR there were several reasons he opted for the Golden Flashes.

"The atmosphere is what drew me in most. All the coaches starting with Coach (Sean) Lewis are all on the same page and have the same goal and that has shown tremendously since he’s been there. The chance to start playing right away was a huge factor, so I’m hoping to come in and start and win a MAC championship," said Durkin, adding his goals are to start, have 100 percent touchbacks and field goals and, definitely, win a championship.