Inside the September 2006 Edition:
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Sandro DeAngelis one step
closer to boyhood dream
DeAngelis’ CFL success
fuels NFL dream
By John Williams
Sandro DeAngelis has dreamt of kicking in the National Football League since he was a young boy. At age 25, he may be one step closer to his dream.
DeAngelis’ stellar play with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League is currently raising eyebrows throughout North America.
After being named CFL special teams Player-of-the-Month in July, the second-year place-kicking sensation signed a three-year deal through 2009.
The following week DeAngelis kicked a pair of 50-yard field goals in the last minute of play to hand the Montreal Alouettes their first loss of the season.
“I love the fact I can win or lose a game,” DeAngelis said. “I enjoy the pressure situations. It’s you, the ball and those uprights. It’s a great feeling of power that you shut 50,000 people up by doing my job.”
But while DeAngelis may be exceeding most players’ boyhood dreams, he hopes one day to split the uprights in the NFL. He certainly has the numbers to do it.
In 2005, DeAngelis connected on 40 of 52 field goal attempts through 18 games – his longest coming from 56 yards.
Through 11 games this season, he’s split the uprights 37 times on 43 attempts for an 86.0 percent average. He also leads the league in scoring with 139 points.
DeAngelis’ numbers in the higher-scoring, more wide-open CFL would certainly rival those of NFL greats Mike Vanderjagt and Steve Christie.
In 2003, Vanderjagt, now with the Dallas Cowboys, was perfect on 37 field goal attempts through 16 games with the Indianapolis Colts – including a 50 yarder.
In 1994, Christie was good on 24 of 28 attempts for an 85.7 percent average through 16 games with the Buffalo Bills including two from 50 yards.
“I daydream about wearing a Buffalo Bills uniform,” DeAngelis said. “They’ve been my team since I was a little kid. When I’m 27 or 28, maybe I’ll give the NFL a shot. I’d love to play in Ralph Wilson Stadium. I have three of my best friends from college kicking in the NFL. You can’t help but think what if?”
It’s easy to understand DeAngelis’ passion for the Bills. In 1996, the Niagara Falls, Ontario native opted to attend St. Joe’s High School in Buffalo, New York under the tutelage of Bob O’Connor.
Three years later, DeAngelis earned first team All-New York honors as a running back, linebacker and kicker at St. Joe’s.
“Football in Western New York is tremendous,” DeAngelis said. “There’s so much talent. It gave me the confidence that I could hang with anybody in the country. Without the experience at St. Joe’s, “I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
In 2000, DeAngelis earned a four-year scholarship to kick for the University of Nebraska. But it wasn’t until the 2004 season that he became the Cornhuskers’ full-time kicker.
“I went through some really tough years at Nebraska, some people didn’t believe in me,” said DeAngelis, who credits his family and O’Connor for their support during the difficult times. “I kept plugging away doing the things that have made me successful.
I talked to him all through college,” O’Connor said. “(I told him) ‘you have to stay, you have to finish there. The one big advantage is that you’re Canadian. You can go to Canada and play. You’ll probably be a major star in Canada.’”
“Everyone gets to the end but they take different means to get there,” O’Connor added. “I think his future is ahead of him. I think he’ll be a big time kicker in the NFL eventually.”
At the same time, DeAngelis is happy to savor his time with the Stampeders.
“Sometimes I have to pinch myself,” he said. “I’m truly blessed. It took over a decade of hard work to get here. I try to keep myself humble because I remember where I came from. The area (of Buffalo) has helped shape who I am.”

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