Roberto Aguayo is in a tough spot.
Not only is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker dealing with immense pressure by virtue of being drafted in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He also is struggling mightily in practice, which has some Bucs fans already turning against him.
Don't ever recall a Bucs kicker booed at practice. Half the fans seemed to have been heckling Aguayo.
— JoeBucsFan (@JoeBucsFan) August 23, 2016
Aguayo has missed two field-goal attempts and an extra-point try in Tampa Bay’s first two preseason games. He also flopped Tuesday during a joint practice with the Cleveland Browns, missing three of six field-goal attempts, according to ESPN.
Aguayo, one of the most accurate kickers in college football history, was the first kicker selected in the second round (59th overall) since the New York Jets selected Mike Nugent with the 47th overall pick in 2005. It was a stunning selection by the Bucs, and one that’s being criticized even more now that the 22-year-old Florida State product has fallen on hard times leading up to the regular season.
“He’s struggling,” Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter told reporters Tuesday after practice. “He’s struggling a little bit right now. He’s gotta work his way through it.”
Both Koetter and Aguayo have acknowledged the early struggles could be mental. It would explain why the kicker has consulted with people outside the organization, including a mental coach, but until things turn around on the gridiron, Bucs fans likely will remain skeptical.
Roberto Aguayo just had one of the worst practice shanks I've ever seen followed by another miss. It's officially a thing. #Bucs #Browns
— Pat Donovan🎙╠(@PatDonovanRadio) August 23, 2016
According to JoeBucsFan.com, fans heckled Aguayo with FSU’s famous war chant at Tuesday’s practice. They also reportedly showered him with a Bronx cheer when Aguayo converted a chip shot, and one fan even yelled, “You can do it!” — a line made famous by the movie “The Waterboy.”
Thumbnail photo via Reinhold Matay/USA TODAY Sports Images
