By Marvin Pave, The Boston Globe West
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Chuck Denune was determined to improve the kicking game of his Bridgewater State football team this fall. He turned to Colin Neri, a fifth-year senior from Upton who had already played four seasons of soccer for the Bears. His six goals helped the university reach the NCAA Division 3 tournament last fall.
“Our soccer coach, Brendan Adams, said that Colin had a great leg and the three of us kind of kidded around about his kicking for us someday,’’ Denune recalled.
Neri, a three-sport athlete who captained the soccer and winter track teams and played baseball at Nipmuc Regional High, started from scratch at spring practice. Then he delivered this season for the 4-6 Bears.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Neri made 7 of his 10 field goal attempts — with a long of 44 yards — and was 25 for 26 (one was blocked) on extra points. His 46 points were second on the team. He averaged 58.2 yards on 48 kickoffs, and also took over the punting chores midway through the season. The 23-year-old physical education major was eligible for football because although he played the maximum four years of soccer, NCAA rules allow 10 semesters of varsity participation.
Q. How did you prepare for being a place-kicker for the first time?
A. I started practicing on my own after last year’s soccer season. I kicked into a net and at the new turf field in Milford. I also studied kicking technique online and on YouTube.
Q. Were you intimidated?
A. No. I was a pretty physical soccer player and I’ve been a personal trainer at Rise Above Performance in Whitinsville, so that helped me get into football condition. l also had two friends who were already on the football team. One was our holder, Dave Bubar, who really helped me relax and do my job.
Q.Are there other athletes in the family?
A. Yes, my dad, Mike, who taught me to kick a soccer ball when I was 4, and my sister, Madison. She’s class president and a senior captain on the girls’ soccer team at Nipmuc that won the state title.
Q. What is your favorite time with family?
A. When we all get together in the summer at York Beach, Maine. It’s a tradition that began with my grandparents. We usually toss a football around on the beach, so I guess I had some background after all.
Q. What has been the hardest adjustment to college football?
A. How to tackle, and then learning to kick a football rather than a soccer ball. The communication between the snapper, holder, and myself, and the different technique between place-kicking and punting demands a lot of repetition, and I’m always watching kickers all day Sunday on TV.
Q. What are you most proud of this season?
A. Statistically, that no one scored on any of my kicks or punts, and that I was able to total 14 touchbacks. I also had a couple of tackles on kick returns against my dad’s alma mater, Framingham State.
Q. Would you like to play one more season?
A. I graduate this winter, so I’m making a decision whether I’ll go to grad school at Bridgewater and start my 10th semester next fall, in which case I could play one more season. I would like to help us be a winning team and also get a shot at breaking our record for the longest field goal, which is 49 yards.
Q. Who has inspired you the most, either on or off the field?
A. My close friend and our high school baseball captain, Christopher DiLorenzo. Chris was killed in a car accident in Mendon nearly three years ago. His motivation and focus continue to influence me.