NEWS
Ryker Totzke hasn’t stepped on a football field since his sophomore year of high school. That didn’t stop the OU freshman from sending a field goal soaring through the uprights at last Wednesday's Beat Bevo Bash and winning a $5,000 scholarship.
Totzke signed up on a whim for a chance at the kick.
“Who doesn’t want to win five grand?” he said.
Big Boot at Beat Bevo Bash was a new addition to this year's Red River Rivalry festivities. Students entered for a chance to attempt a 35-yard field goal for the $5,000 prize. Totzke was the chosen student.
He was standing in line for hats at the Bash when his phone rang with the news that he’d been selected. After that call, he had a handful of minutes to fill out paperwork and then step onto the grass of the South Oval to take the kick.
Totzke played soccer through eighth grade and football through his sophomore year of high school, where he played outside linebacker, not kicker. Since then, golf has been his sport of choice.
“It was just a mix of emotions,” he said of the moments before the kick. “I was excited, a chance for five grand, but I was also very nervous.”
“Creating life-changing opportunities for students is at the heart of what we do,” said Mike Hinderman, director of scholarships at OU. “When unique and exciting moments like this arise, they provide a special way to celebrate our students while also helping them pursue their educational goals. We're thrilled that one kick could make a lasting impact on a student's OU journey.”
A philosophy and political science major on a pre-law track, Totzke is from Gillette, Wyoming. He was born in Arkansas, but has spent the last 13 years in Wyoming, and he was ready to return to the warmer southern weather.
OU offered something else Wyoming couldn’t: a big SEC game-day experience.
Totzke is still very early in his OU career. Outside of class, he is soaking up the Oklahoma experience, exploring a community he visited only briefly for a campus tour and orientation. He has recently tried skydiving and line dancing, and he’s involved in campus ministry through Crossover.
Now he can add a scholarship-winning field goal to the list.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and healthcare needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
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OU freshman Ryker Totzke, who hasn’t played football since his sophomore year of high school, nailed a 35-yard field goal at last Wednesday’s Beat Bevo Bash to win a $5,000 scholarship through the new Big Boot contest.
