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Will Reichard: 5 things to know about the Alabama Crimson Tide football placekicker

The Tuscaloosa News

When Will Reichard signed with Alabama on Dec. 19, 2018, he was the No. 1-ranked kicker in the country, according to 247Sports.

He enrolled early at Alabama in January 2019 and got started to becoming the Crimson Tide placekicker. He also punted occasionally as a freshman, but Reichard has not punted through the first eight games of the 2020 season.

Here is some basic information about Will Reichard:

Height: 6 feet, 1 inch
Weight: 190 pounds
Age: 20 years old
Birthdate: Jan. 9, 2001
Parents: Gary and Dana Reichard
Hometown: Hoover, Alabama
High school: Hoover High School

Here are five more facts on Alabama football kicker Will Reichard.

What is Will Reichard's longest field goal?

Oct 17, 2020; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama kicker Will Reichard (16) is congratulated by Alabama running back Najee Harris (22) after hitting a field goal to end the first half against Georgia during the first quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr/The Tuscaloosa News via USA TODAY Sports

Will Reichard established a new personal benchmark when he kicked a 52-yard field goal against Georgia on Oct. 17, 2020. It became the longest field goal so far in his Alabama career.

He made the field goal as time expired at the end of the first half against the UGA Bulldogs, and it cut the Georgia lead to 24-20. Alabama went on to win the game 41-24.

His previous best at Alabama was a 49-yard field goal against New Mexico State on Sept. 7, 2019.

As a high school senior, Reichard hit a 53-yard field goal for Hoover. The 53-yard field goal came against Oak Mountain on Sept. 21, 2018.

Reichard also captured on video making a field goal from 65 yards during practice in high school.

Will Reichard:Alabama K Will Reichard kicks monster field goal while training

Will Reichard injury during Alabama freshman season

Alabama kickers Ty Perine (99) and Alabama Will Reichard (16) talk before the Alabama vs. Western Carolina game on the UA campus in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday, November 23, 2019.

Will Reichard battled a hip flexor injury during his freshman season on the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Reichard played the first four games of the 2019 season before initially suffering the injury against Southern Mississippi. After the initial injury, he missed the next two games. He returned and tried one field goal against Tennessee on Oct. 19, but he re-injured his hip flexor injury while missing a 33-yard field goal attempt. Reichard never returned during the 2019 season.

Before arriving at Alabama, Will Reichard tore an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during his sophomore year at Hoover High School in 2016 and missed that season.

Will Reichard:Alabama takes it easy on a couple of injured freshmen during bye week

Will Reichard won 2 football state titles at Hoover High School

Will Reichard was a placekicker for the Hoover High School football team when it won AHSAA state titles in 2016 and 2017. Hoover has won 13 state titles in the program's history.

Reichard was sidelined with an ACL injury during the 2016 season. In 2017, he shared kicking duties with Barret Pickering, according to AL.com, with Reichard mainly punting and Pickering mainly placekicking. Pickering became a kicker at Nebraska.

"I just feel like we try to make each other better every day," Reichard said to AL.com.

Hoover defeated McGill-Toolen 48-20 to capture the 2017 Class 7A state title. Hoover also defeated McGill-Toolen in the 2016 Class 7A state title game, and the 2016 final score was 17-7 Hoover.

Will Reichard's dad died in March 2016

Nov 21, 2020; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama kicker Will Reichard (16) kicks an extra point out of the hold of quarterback Mac Jones (10) against Kentucky at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mickey Welsh/The Montgomery Advertiser via USA TODAY Sports

Gary Eugene Reichard, Will's dad, died on March 28, 2016, at the age of 53 years old, according to his obituary. Gary Reichard died about a month after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, according to Rivals.

"I'll miss you, Dad," Will Reichard posted on Instagram on March 31, 2016. "But your memory will live forever in my heart. It's not a goodbye, it's a see you later in Heaven."

According to his obituary, Gary Reichard was a senior technical director for AT&T. He held a bachelor's degree from the University of West Florida and an MBA degree from Samford. Gary Reichard was also a member of Green Valley Baptist Church in Hoover, Alabama, and he served as the church sound technician for more than 25 years.

When Will Reichard committed to Alabama on May 23, 2018, he said in a tweet, "I want to thank my dad for everything he did for me while he was on this earth. He recognized my talent at a young age, spent countless hours on the field with me, and pushed me to strive for greatness every day. I strive to make you proud, and this process is something I wish we could have experienced together. This is for you Dad."

Will Reichard made 35-yard field goals at 11 years old

When Will Reichard signed with Alabama football in December 2018, self-described kicking consultant Brian Jackson shared an old Facebook post of his from December 2012.

In Jackson's 2012 post, he said Will Reichard "may be the future kicking star at Hoover" because Reichard had been outside in 45-degree weather making 35-yard field goals as an 11-year-old boy.

Jackson was a kicker at Ball State from 2003-06, and he is a native of Dothan, Alabama.