OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) 鈥� Tyler Loop lived out a kicker’s nightmare last season, when his kept the Baltimore Ravens out of the playoffs.
Five months later, he insists that failure is behind him 鈥� and it didn’t take nearly that long.
鈥淚 would say the biggest thing I did was just acknowledge and accept it, and it took a day or two,” Loop said. 鈥淚 would say moving on from the kick itself was pretty easy, just because I know you have to be ready for the next kick, and you have to be able to put it behind you. I鈥檓 confident in the process that I鈥檝e developed.鈥�
Loop spoke to reporters at minicamp Wednesday. He was asked how does someone playing such a high-pressure position rebound after missing with the season on the line? Especially when he was a rookie and was still pretty unproven before things went sideways?
鈥淵ou have to be able to look at it objectively and be like, 鈥楾his is why I missed the kick.鈥� You learn from it, and you move on. You have to say, 鈥楬ey, I鈥檓 still capable of doing this. My process hasn鈥檛 broken,'” he said. “There may have been a hiccup or something that went wrong, and you need to be able to look at that, address it and then say, 鈥楢lright, I鈥檓 good. We鈥檙e going to the next one.鈥� So, holding onto it? No, you have to flush it. But, you also have to be able to look at it objectively.鈥�
Loop said he quickly reassured people close to him that he was OK, and he had support from some who understood what he was going through.
鈥淚 had a couple of other kickers around the league reach out to me. Their wives actually reached out to my wife 鈥� my fianc茅e at the time 鈥� and that was really cool,鈥� he said.
For the Ravens, moving on meant firing coach John Harbaugh and replacing him . It was easy to wonder if Loop could have prevented that coaching change by making the kick, which would have given Baltimore a win over Pittsburgh in the regular-season finale and sent the Ravens to the playoffs.
That’s not something for Loop to dwell on.
鈥淲e talk about focusing on what you can control, and all I can control for myself is my process, taking care of my mental (health), getting close to the people that care about me, being close to my teammates and just continually being my best,鈥� he said. “All I was focused on afterward was, 鈥楬ow can I be my best moving forward?鈥欌��
Loop took over as Baltimore’s kicker after the team . That was following reports Tucker was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by massage therapists. Loop wasn’t bad as a rookie 鈥� the final kick was his only miss inside 50 yards 鈥� but he rarely had to attempt a truly high-leverage field goal.
Then suddenly, the whole season was riding on his leg, and he didn’t come through.
鈥淚 had a few guys check in on me a couple days later. I was like, 鈥極h man, I鈥檓 great. Ready to go,鈥欌�� Loop said. “No one wishes they had that kick back more than me, but you have to move on.鈥�
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