Hauser on his first college kick: “It was just everything I’ve ever dreamed about”

Nolan Hauser hit his first college field goal in the second half for Clemson's lone score.

Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Friday, September 06 2024

CLEMSON - A true freshman rarely gets a chance to be a starter in the season opener. However, that is precisely what happened for placekicker Nolan Hauser out of Cornelius, North Carolina.

Hauser scored the only points of the game for Clemson with a 26-yard field goal in the third quarter.

“Any game, you’re going to have a little bit of nerves. Coming in any position, you’re going to have nerves. But, it really felt right at home,” Hauser said. “So, that feeling when you haven’t been home in a while, you come right up to the door and you’re like, ‘Wow. I’m here.’ Obviously, last year (I was) in high school, this (was) the first game since last season for me (on) a bigger stage. So, wasn’t really nerves. It was more anxiety and ready to get out there and go.”

If the name Hauser sounds familiar, it should. Both of his parents are Clemson alumni, and his mother was an All-American soccer player who still holds the team record for career assists with 40. His father was also a Clemson athlete who played on Clemson’s College World Series team back in 1996. In addition, his sister was on Clemson’s soccer team last year. With all of his family history with the Tigers, he grew up watching a lot of Clemson and always had it in the back of his mind to play for them, a dream he realized against the Bulldogs this past Saturday.

“It was just everything I’ve ever dreamed about,” Hauser said. “Growing up watching Clemson, both my parents went here, watching Clemson and just dreaming about that opportunity and it coming true, it was just amazing.”

In high school, Hauser played several positions and was a multi-sport athlete. His involvement in soccer was actually how he started developing his kicking skills. Surprisingly, given his mother’s success as a soccer player, she was not the person who taught him to develop these skills.

“Growing up, I played wide receiver, running back, ran track in high school. Really didn’t learn kicking from my mom, surprisingly. Played soccer all growing up, Pop Warner,” Hauser said. “I was just out there playing all different positions, and it was, ‘I can kick a soccer ball. Why can’t I kick a football?’ So, I’d run out there and my dad was the coach. So, it was just out there, go kick it. It wasn’t really anything until probably freshman year of high school.”

The Georgia game marked Hauser’s first time kicking in a dome. This coming Saturday against Appalachian State (8 p.m. / ACC Network) will mark another first in Hauser’s career, his first home game. Of course, since his parents are both alumni, he has been to Death Valley before as a fan. But, this will mark his first time as a player in Death Valley. Since the game is a night game, that will add even more excitement.