Wake Forest Athletics
Deacon Sports Xtra: 22: A Year, a Time and a Kick to Remember
10/20/2021 11:10:00 AM | Football, Les Johns
“I was staying ready in case my number was called. Luckily it was, and I made it.” - Nick Sciba
It's safe to say 22 will always be a special number for Wake Forest kicker Nick Sciba.
In the 37-34 home victory over Louisville, Sciba made his 22nd-straight field goal, a game winner with 22 seconds left on the clock — on his 22nd birthday.
"I couldn't be happier," Sciba said. "They sang happy birthday to me in the locker room when we got inside. I'm not gonna lie, I almost cried. I'm a softy."
With the Demon Deacons driving late in the game, Clawson would have preferred that the Sciba kick be the last play.
"We obviously trust Nick, so we decided to run clock," Clawson said. "It would have been nice to get that first down and make that play the last play of the game. It's certainly nice to have somebody that reliable and dependable that you can say the overwhelming percentages are he's going to hit this kick."
As Justice Ellison runs fueled the Wake Forest drive into the end zone, it seemed like a go-ahead touchdown was imminent.
"The way I am, I'm always ready," Sciba said with a laugh when asked if he wanted a chance to kick. "Of course, I want us to do our best possible, and that would have been getting in the end zone. I was staying ready in case my number was called. Luckily it was, and I made it."
Louisville coach Scott Satterfield had already exhausted his three timeouts, as he used them to stop the clock on the end-of-game Wake Forest drive — so he didn't have the opportunity to ice Sciba, not that it likely would have mattered.
"I wasn't really nervous," Sciba said. "I don't think about making or missing. I made it, luckily, but if I miss it one kick doesn't define who I am or the kicker that I am. I go out with that mentality. Luckily, I have a great offensive line blocking for me, great tight ends on the wings, a great snapper who's really improved and a great holder.
"My freshman year, they (nerves) were there a little bit. It just took a little maturity to realize that one kick doesn't define who you are. It took me a little bit to realize that. Now that I've realized that, life is easier."
After the Wake Forest defense went into prevent a multi-lateral play to close the game, Sciba's teammates lifted him up in the air as they celebrated with the student sections chanting his name.
"That was awesome," Sciba said. "Two people picked me up easily, and it caught me off guard. I guess I need to put some more weight on. It was awesome. I wasn't expecting it, but it made me feel happy and good on the inside. I'm happy to be where I'm at.
"I was just in a crowd and ended up in the air. I'm just glad they didn't start throwing me."
Sciba missed his first career field goal attempt as a freshman back in 2018, then was just 2-for-4 a month later in a home contest against Notre Dame — a game in which he infamously was shown late getting onto the field, seemingly unaware his number had been called.
Since then, he's been nearly automatic. He's the all-time NCAA leader in field goal accuracy, and holds the record for most made field goals in a row (34). Sciba also is the active leader in FBS with 24 consecutive makes heading into the Army game on Saturday.
"It took awhile to understand," Sciba said. "I got so much from looking at my numbers and how other kickers were doing. When I first got here, I was too focused on that instead of focusing on myself. I had to take a step back and realize what I was doing and what I was doing this for. I was being selfish and playing for myself.
"You didn't do that to play for you, you came to play for a team. You came to be the best you that you can be. The way you're going out everyday is not the way it's supposed to be done."
Though just a fourth-year junior, Sciba already owns the all-time Wake Forest scoring record and is 12th in the ACC with 359 career points.
"God, 100 percent," Sciba said when asked how he's able to stay confident and relaxed. "I play for Him and I get my identity from Him. I don't get my identity from my numbers, or from what people say about me, either good or bad. I don't listen to it."
In the 37-34 home victory over Louisville, Sciba made his 22nd-straight field goal, a game winner with 22 seconds left on the clock — on his 22nd birthday.
"I couldn't be happier," Sciba said. "They sang happy birthday to me in the locker room when we got inside. I'm not gonna lie, I almost cried. I'm a softy."
With the Demon Deacons driving late in the game, Clawson would have preferred that the Sciba kick be the last play.
"We obviously trust Nick, so we decided to run clock," Clawson said. "It would have been nice to get that first down and make that play the last play of the game. It's certainly nice to have somebody that reliable and dependable that you can say the overwhelming percentages are he's going to hit this kick."
As Justice Ellison runs fueled the Wake Forest drive into the end zone, it seemed like a go-ahead touchdown was imminent.
"The way I am, I'm always ready," Sciba said with a laugh when asked if he wanted a chance to kick. "Of course, I want us to do our best possible, and that would have been getting in the end zone. I was staying ready in case my number was called. Luckily it was, and I made it."
Louisville coach Scott Satterfield had already exhausted his three timeouts, as he used them to stop the clock on the end-of-game Wake Forest drive — so he didn't have the opportunity to ice Sciba, not that it likely would have mattered.
"I wasn't really nervous," Sciba said. "I don't think about making or missing. I made it, luckily, but if I miss it one kick doesn't define who I am or the kicker that I am. I go out with that mentality. Luckily, I have a great offensive line blocking for me, great tight ends on the wings, a great snapper who's really improved and a great holder.
"My freshman year, they (nerves) were there a little bit. It just took a little maturity to realize that one kick doesn't define who you are. It took me a little bit to realize that. Now that I've realized that, life is easier."
After the Wake Forest defense went into prevent a multi-lateral play to close the game, Sciba's teammates lifted him up in the air as they celebrated with the student sections chanting his name.
"That was awesome," Sciba said. "Two people picked me up easily, and it caught me off guard. I guess I need to put some more weight on. It was awesome. I wasn't expecting it, but it made me feel happy and good on the inside. I'm happy to be where I'm at.
"I was just in a crowd and ended up in the air. I'm just glad they didn't start throwing me."
Sciba missed his first career field goal attempt as a freshman back in 2018, then was just 2-for-4 a month later in a home contest against Notre Dame — a game in which he infamously was shown late getting onto the field, seemingly unaware his number had been called.
Since then, he's been nearly automatic. He's the all-time NCAA leader in field goal accuracy, and holds the record for most made field goals in a row (34). Sciba also is the active leader in FBS with 24 consecutive makes heading into the Army game on Saturday.
"It took awhile to understand," Sciba said. "I got so much from looking at my numbers and how other kickers were doing. When I first got here, I was too focused on that instead of focusing on myself. I had to take a step back and realize what I was doing and what I was doing this for. I was being selfish and playing for myself.
"You didn't do that to play for you, you came to play for a team. You came to be the best you that you can be. The way you're going out everyday is not the way it's supposed to be done."
Though just a fourth-year junior, Sciba already owns the all-time Wake Forest scoring record and is 12th in the ACC with 359 career points.
"God, 100 percent," Sciba said when asked how he's able to stay confident and relaxed. "I play for Him and I get my identity from Him. I don't get my identity from my numbers, or from what people say about me, either good or bad. I don't listen to it."
Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
K
/ FootballSpring Camp Media Availability (3/21/26) | Wake Forest Football
Saturday, March 21
Wake Forest Track & Field: Seren Rodgers Women's History Month Feature
Friday, March 20
Spring Camp Media Availability (3/20/26) | Wake Forest Football
Friday, March 20
Steve Forbes - Postgame Presser vs. Navy
Thursday, March 19