Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Call pays big for kicker/teacher

Sal DeFilippo

Friday, Feb. 9, 2001 | 10:39 a.m.

Sal DeFilippo's pro football picks column appears Friday. Reach him at sal@lasvegassun.com or 259-4076.

It was a Wednesday, and a routine school day for students at Lebanon (Ind.) High School.

It was getting late in the day, and teacher Mike Panasuk was giving instructions to his sixth-period class about 2 p.m. when his cell phone rang. Panasuk, who teaches speech and drama at the school, had left the phone on in hopes of receiving a follow-up call from a voice mail left at his house the previous night.

On Sunday, Panasuk again was giving a lesson in high drama. This time, however, his pupils were the 38,000 fans at Pac Bell Park in San Francisco. And there was no make-up test.

With fewer than 10 seconds to go and the clock running in San Francisco's XFL opener against Los Angeles on Sunday, Panasuk was rushed onto the field to attempt the biggest kick of his life.

The Demons trailed by one point, and it was his job to make the 33-yard field goal to win the game. Oh yeah, one other thing -- if he misses, not only does he miss out on the $2,500 bonus that comes with each XFL victory, but so do each of his 39 teammates. That's 100 grand riding on his right foot.

The clock winds down, and quarterback Mike Pawlawski, who led San Francisco down the field in the final four minutes to position it for the game-winning attempt, kneels down to hold the ball for Panasuk's kick.

Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Not bad theater for a guy whose first practice with the team was a day earlier.

It was fitting that Panasuk was in the spotlight in the most exciting finish of the XFL's opening week, especially when you consider that the new league is trying to promote players who are relative unknowns to the casual fan. This guy was unknown even to most of his team.

"I got the call on my cell and they asked if I could leave that night at 7," Panasuk said this week. "After I talked to the school principal and department heads and worked out the details, I took off."

Trying out as a kicker in a distant city is no new territory for Panasuk, who after a college career at Ferris State in Big Rapids, Mich., had tryouts with the Dolphins, Bears, Broncos and Falcons of the NFL, as well as a stint with Birmingham in the Canadian Football League.

"I got here Thursday morning and tried out for the job. We worked out the contract on Friday. I got to practice with the team Saturday afternoon and suited up to play Sunday," Panasuk said.

In the first quarter, Panasuk missed his first attempt with the Demons, a 42-yarder.

"I was tentative. I didn't attack the ball -- I just wanted to guide it through. I wanted to make the first one and go from there. After I missed it, I just got mad at myself. I wanted to go out there and kick it again."

The XFL does have some unusual rules, but that's not one of them. But Panasuk benefited from being the team's only kicker, meaning he also was the punter and the man who kicks off. Those duties, and the support of a team he still is getting to know, helped him forget about the miss and keep his head in the game, just in case he got one more chance for ...

Now where was I? Oh yeah, the game-winning attempt. Well, it doesn't take an A student to know what happens next.

"It's just an issue of whether mentally you can do it when the game is on the line," Panasuk said. "Everyone knew where they had to be. We couldn't have a penalty. Everything had to run smooth. I knew I didn't have to rush. I'm not even sure how much time was left when the ball was snapped, but I knew we had a few seconds left."

The kick is up -- and through. Close the curtain. Take a bow.

"It really was unbelievable. What's really amazing is that with no timeouts, we were able to drive down the field and get into position for the kick," Panasuk said. "Everybody working together was the best thing. I was just out there for one play."

And suddenly Panasuk has 39 new best friends. But suppose one of those San Francisco winds redirects the ball en route to the goal posts. Suppose there is no happily ever after. Then what?

"I've already thought about this -- Sunday night, after the game, it was going through my head, over and over. I was thinking about what everyone's reaction would have been. I think it would have been really silent. I don't think anyone would have said, 'Hey, you lost me $2,500,' because they know I'd have to come back sometime and kick another one.

"I'm guessing, but it probably would have been something like that."

Class dismissed.

For the record

I went 2-2 against the spread in last week's action, correctly picking Memphis and Chicago plus the points. Los Angeles and New York/New Jersey failed to cover.

Saturday's games

CHICAGO +7 at Los Angeles -- Two teams coming off tough losses. The Enforcers hung tough at Orlando behind John Avery's 250 total yards and two touchdowns. The Xtreme, the preseason league favorite, lost on the game's final play. L.A. rebounds, but in another close call. Los Angeles 27, Chicago 23.

ORLANDO -4 at San Francisco -- Jeff Brohm looked sharp in the Rage's opening-week win, with four TD passes. This week, it conquers its Demons. Orlando 32, San Francisco 22.

Sunday's games

BIRMINGHAM -3 at New York/New Jersey -- The Hitmen were miserable on offense against Las Vegas in their opener. I hadn't seen a New York area team look that bad on offense since ... well, the week before. The Thunderbolts should roll. Birmingham 20, New York/ New Jersey 6.

LAS VEGAS +5 at Memphis -- The Elvis Bowl features two 1-0 teams from the Western Division. Rashaan Salaam's 154 rushing yards on 27 carries keyed the league's only road winners last week. The Maniax will have their hands full with an Outlaws defense that had six sacks and two interceptions in a shutout win to open the season. Memphis is king, but Las Vegas doesn't prove to be just an impersonator. Memphis 18, Las Vegas 14.