Virginia kicker Ian Frye hit a 46-yard field goal with knowledge of his father's heart attack
Virginia kicker Ian Frye hit all four of his field goal attempts Saturday in the Cavaliers’ loss to BYU, and he managed to hit a 46-yarder after learning that his father had suffered a heart attack in the stands just before halftime.
Per The Virginian-Pilot, Frye found out what was happening after he hit a 22-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
Frye had just kicked a 22-yard field goal to end the first half and was walking to the locker room when he saw his mother, Dana, coming down the stairs from the stands and yelling at him that his father was having chest pains. Frye poked his head into the locker room to tell his teammates and then ran back outside. He hopped the railing and made his up to his dad, who by then was surrounded by emergency medical technicians.
By the time Frye came out for the second half, his father, Mark, 58, had been taken to the hospital. Frye was getting updates on his father from Gerry Capone, UVA’s associate athletic director for football administration and his mind was understandably elsewhere when he was summoned for his fourth kick of the game.
“That was probably one of the hardest kicks I ever had to do, just knowing my dad and what he was going through and having to perform still for the team,” Frye said Monday. “I kicked it for him.”
Frye, who was named ACC special teams player of the week, nailed the kick. When he went to the hospital in Provo after the game, Frye said his father was upset that he did not get to see the kick.
“He said he’s never missed a kick,” Frye said. “So he was quite upset about that. But he’s looking forward to coming, if possible to the upcoming game.”
Frye, a junior who was recently put on scholarship, has hit 10-of-11 attempts this season.
Now 2-2, Virginia’s next game is at home against Kent State on Saturday.
For more Virginia news, visit CavsCorner.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
