Skip to the content

The NEXT: Hotbed for Kickers?

China? Fo' realz.

by Ted Bauer

Getty Images
"Long Ding? Love him."

Remember the Adam Sandler ditty "Lonesome Kicker?" Kinda funny, but it was a little hard to watch it because it's legitimately true. Kickers are ostracized! (We think; we don't have a lot of friends in the NFL, honestly. Or at all.) Now imagine if you were a kicker and from another country. Double whammy. Well, meet Long Ding. On Sunday, he'll kick for Dean College in the Graphic Edge Bowl in Cedar Falls, Iowa (famous natives: Kurt Warner and Annabeth Gish). He will be the first graduate of the USA Football International Student Program (ISP) to play in a college football bowl game. Guess he's adapting quite well. And hey Sandler, most of your recent movies haven't even been funny! OK, we got off-track there for a second.


ESPN Conversation

Print Article . Email Article. Subscribe to The Magazine