Thousand Oaks, California – Despite being a native of Riverside, Lucas Havrisik hadn’t really gone home for six years.
All of that was altered this week when the kicker from the Cleveland Browns practice squad was signed by the Rams.
“It feels great,” Havrisik said after Wednesday’s practice. “California is beautiful. Great weather. Came from Cleveland, obviously. But it was kind of weird flying in. I haven’t been in California in like six years. Like, I don’t really come back, I was in Arizona. So I was like, ‘Man, this is nice!’ So it’s definitely nice.”
The former University of Arizona star’s first chance to play on a 53-man roster makes the homecoming a significant milestone.
He was signed to the Indianapolis Colts practice squad to compete for Chase McLaughlin’s starting spot after going undrafted the previous season. He also tried out for the team during their rookie minicamp in May 2022. Six days after being removed from the Colts’ practice squad, he signed a Reserve/Future contract in January 2023, stayed with the team for the whole offseason, and was later waived on August 27, the last day of the roster reduction process. On August 30, he was then added to the practice squad of the Browns.
“I’m very, very thankful,” Havrisik said. “I’d just like to thank Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. He has guided my way along the way. The process of a kicker is very different, but it’s been great. Every time I had a workout my rookie year, first year coming out last year, I was super thankful. All you can do is control what you can control, so those workouts I did my best and hoped for the best. It’s a matter of time with things opening up in the right spot. Just kept working, and, yeah, turned out well.”
Havrisik had a strong support system in Indianapolis, which of course included former Rams kicker Matt Gay.
“Yes, he’s excellent,” Havrisik responded. Fantastic kicker, of course. We spent the off-season in Indianapolis, but he’s a really kind guy. Learning from that group as a whole was excellent because they were a unique group.”Yes, he’s excellent,” Havrisik responded. Fantastic kicker, of course. We spent the off-season in Indianapolis, but he’s a really kind guy. Learning from that group as a whole was excellent because they were a unique group.
Rams head coach Sean McVay said that Gay’s input, along with that of special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn and assistant special teams coach Jeremy Springer, was a major factor in Los Angeles’ decision to bring aboard Havrisik. According to McVay, there is a great deal of faith in Blackburn and Springer, who invest a great deal of time researching the league and speaking with experts, who form a “close-knit fraternity.”
Being Havrisik’s coach for three of his five seasons at Arizona, Springer also has a great deal of familiarity with the player.
“A lot of the potential, a lot of the talent in terms of, when you talk about as a quarterback, the ball jumping off of a guy’s hand and being able to throw a consistent spiral, change in trajectories, this is the same thing that you talk about,” McVay said, when asked what they liked about Havrisik that led to signing him. “Consistent ball flight, immediate height, consistency with the approach, and a lot of the things that you like when you go back to his career at Arizona. They had liked him in Cleveland. Matt Gay’s feedback was something that weighed into it as well, based on him being around him in Indianapolis.”
All of them have combined to return him to Los Angeles. His family, who remain in Riverside, is aware of the distinct nature of a kicker’s procedure and is familiar with Havrisik’s path. He stated they were “extremely excited” when they learned he was signing with the Rams.
“It’s weird as a kicker, the process of getting in,” Havrisik said. “I explained this to them last year, just the process and what it might look like, ad finally we got here. So they’re very happy.”
It’s unclear who Maher’s replacement will be because McVay acknowledged that the Rams tried out a several kickers as backup options. “We’ll bring him in here and see how he does,” McVay stated.
All he can do, though, is control what he can control, as Havrisik previously stated. This is his next chance to take that action.