Meet the 270-pound arena league kicker going viral during 86-point loss
Share this @internewscast.com

When you picture a kicker in football, a 270-pound player likely doesn’t come to mind.

And when you picture a 270-pound football player, you’re probably not also envisioning him to stand at 5-foot-5.

But those measurements precisely describe kicker Nestor “Manny” Higuera.

Although Higuera doesn’t conform to the usual image of a kicker, it hasn’t prevented him from making it to the professional level, as he now plays for the Washington Wolfpack in the Arena Football One league.

In a video posted Monday on X, over 200,000 people were introduced, or perhaps reintroduced, to the 270-pound kicker.

Recently, Higuera was captured on camera executing a dropkick punt during the Wolfpack’s tough 98-12 defeat on Saturday. This moment marked his return to prominence, following his viral moment in 2021 when he secured a victory with a 46-yard field goal that clinched the first conference championship for his NAIA college.

Off the back of his first viral moment, he even made an appearance on Pat McAfee’s self-titled show.

Higuera’s athletic journey began as a soccer player, and it wasn’t until his junior year at Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona, that he first attempted to kick a football, after being encouraged by the school’s coach to try his hand at football.

“When I first started, the farthest kick I kicked was like 55 (yards),” Higuera said. “I knew I always had the leg strength from soccer. On goal kicks, I could hit it three-fourths of the field. If I made good contact, I would put the ball like 10 yards away from the 18-yard box on the other side. So I always knew I had the power and the leg strength for it. But switching to football was a little difficult. After I got the hang of it, I was just able to kick and put the ball far.”

Higuera picked up the skills fairly fast, and with the help of a kicking camp run by former kicker Luis Zendejas, he wound up at Arizona Christian University.

“Manny is short and stocky, but he’s got a lot of power. I’ve probably done maybe 50 camps, and he probably won about 45 of those 50 camps,” Zendejas said in 2021. “He’s a very consistent kicker. He has what it takes. Weight and all that stuff doesn’t really matter. Only people see it because it’s not the norm.”

Higuera made 20 of 24 field goal attempts in college with a long of 52 yards and went 67 for 72 on PATs.

Most recently, Higuera made Arena Football One history by converting the league’s first-ever dropkick field goal.

While many social media users make jokes of Higuera, he inspires similar kids who may not fit into the typical body standards of a sport, as he said in 2021 that “most of my messages on Instagram or [X], like my DMs, have all been inspirational stuff. Kids saying I’m an inspiration to them.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Photo of Cristen and David Brink.

Haunting Recording Surfaces of Couple’s Tragic Murder in Front of Their Two Little Girls, Soon After ‘Starting Afresh’

HEARTBREAKING audio of police finding the bodies of two parents who were…
12-pack of High Noon Vodka Seltzer.

Alert for Celsius Drinkers: Vodka Contamination Prompts High Noon to Recall Cans – Check for Lid Clues

OFFICIALS had to issue a shocking recall after the alcoholic beverage High…
Nebraska plant explosion killed 2 girls and an employee, and the fire is still burning

Nebraska Plant Explosion Results in Death of 2 Girls and an Employee, with the Fire Ongoing

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — Officials confirmed the deaths of two girls and…
Russian doctors perform surgery during Kamchatka Peninsula earthquake

Doctors in Russia conduct surgery amidst Kamchatka Peninsula earthquake

A dramatic video captures courageous doctors in Russia proceeding with surgery amidst…
Code Red: The Left’s Latest Land Grab Is Bigger Than You Think

Urgent Alert: The Latest Land Acquisition by the Left Is More Extensive Than It Appears

They call it “revitalization.” But it’s not. It’s a coordinated land grab.…
Facial recognition software leads to arrest of suspect accused of injuring ICE officer

Facial recognition technology helps capture suspect accused of harming ICE officer

FBI investigators identified Robert Jacob Hoopes as a suspect in the injury…
Map showing tsunami warnings across the Pacific Ocean.

Tsunami Warning Issued: High-Risk Areas Identified from Japan to Hawaii Following Powerful 8.8-Magnitude Earthquake

ONE of the strongest earthquakes on record has struck the Pacific with…
Couple killed at Arkansas' Devil's Den State Park 'died heroes protecting their little girls,' family says

Arkansas Man Faces Capital Murder Charges for Killing Parents in Front of Daughters at Devil’s Den State Park

The Arkansas Department of Public Safety announced an arrest on Wednesday connected…
Jimmy Hoffa's family calls on Trump to release FBI files

Hoffa Family Urges Trump to Unseal FBI Documents

Fifty years ago today, at 2:30 p.m. in the parking lot of…
Ocean view at sunset with dark clouds and mountains in the background.

Intense moment Hawaii braced for tsunami following 8.8 earthquake in the Ring of Fire, leading to mass evacuations

HAUNTING footage shows the moment ocean water receded along a Hawaii shoreline…
Large group of travelers waiting at LAX airport for a Honolulu flight.

Leading Airlines Suspend Flights Following Powerful Earthquake Near Russia Which Triggers US Tsunami Alert

The 8.8 magnitude earthquake near Russia has caused airlines to halt flights…
Epstein, Maxwell grand juries relied on two law enforcement witnesses, DOJ filing reveals

DOJ Files Show Epstein and Maxwell Grand Juries Depended on Testimonies from Two Law Enforcement Sources

An overnight filing by the Department of Justice revealed the grand juries…