Will Reichard
Hoover native Will Reichard (2001- ) was the University of Alabama’s placekicker from 2019 to 2023; he holds the record for most points scored in NCAA Division One Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with 547 points. In addition, Reichard maintained a perfect kicking percentage during the team’s 2020 season and was an important contributor to their 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship win. He is now the starting kicker for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League (NFL).
Will Reichard was born on January 9, 2001, in Hoover, Jefferson/Shelby County, to Gary Reichard and Dana Swanner. From a young age, Reichard’s parents encouraged him to develop his craft as a kicker. In sixth grade, he started attending Kohl’s Kicking Camp, often regarded as the top specialist camp for aspiring kickers, punters, and long snappers to gain professional exposure. By the time Reichard became the starting kicker for the Hoover High School Buccaneers, he was ranked as the number one kicker and number two punter in the Kohl’s Class of 2019. Despite multiple injuries and the unexpected death of his father, Reichard made 27 of his 31 field goals and all 109 of his points after touchdown (PATs). He won two state championships with the Bucs and received multiple offers from top-tier college football programs, including the University of Georgia, Louisiana State University, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Oregon.
After a noteworthy high school career, Reichard committed to play for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide and became the starting kicker as a freshman. He started in only five games in the 2019 season because of injuries. Notably, he made eight PATs and two field goals against New Mexico State University and was named special teams player of the week by his coaches. The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) also named him to the Freshman All-America Watch List.
In 2020, Reichard recorded one of the most prolific and efficient kicking seasons of all time. He maintained a perfect kicking percentage on both field goals and PATs throughout the Crimson Tide’s high-scoring season. He delivered perhaps his most noteworthy performance of the season in the SEC Championship against Florida, the Tide’s closest game of the season. He scored 10 points in the Tide’s six-point win. CBS Sports named him first team All-America for his efforts during the 2020 season.
Reichard received many accolades throughout his five-year collegiate career. During his last three seasons, he was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week five times. His kicking contributed to two more Tide playoff runs and a 2022 Sugar Bowl win over Kansas State University. In the Tide’s 2023 win over Arkansas, Reichard broke the Southeastern Conference (SEC) scoring record of 480 points, held by Auburn University kicker Daniel Carlson. He later tied the NCAA record during Alabama’s win over the Auburn Tigers in the Iron Bowl and became the NCAA's all-time points leader the following week in Alabama’s victory against Georgia in the SEC Championship. He scored eight points in Alabama’s loss to the University of Michigan in the 2024 Rose Bowl, finishing his collegiate career with 547 points. Reichard also holds the Tide record for field goals from 50-plus yards with 10 and was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award for college football’s top kicker in the 2023 season. Prior to the 2023 season, Reichard married his high school girlfriend Amelia Auchmuty.
When Reichard entered the NFL draft, scouts were concerned with his injury history and a missed game-winning kick at the University of Tennessee. His strengths were enough for the Minnesota Vikings to select him in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Since becoming the starting kicker as a rookie, Reichard has maintained his consistent play. During the 2025 NFL season, Reichard made a 62-yard field goal, the longest field goal in franchise history. For his performance throughout the season, he was named to the Pro Bowl and designated as a first team All-Pro for the first time in his NFL career.
