It’s undeniable that those who have the ball in their hands –– those fans call superstars, gamechangers or legends –– are the ones that attract praise. They’re the ones on billboards, hoisting trophies and selling jerseys. If one asks a young child (or even a seasoned adult fan), they’re far more likely to cite Bo Nix or Marcus Mariota as their “favorite player” than any other member of the team.
But that’s just it. It’s members of the team, even those who take the field three or four times a game for a single play, who deserve the label of “gamechanger.” Because a gamechanger is that player who has the will and ability to shoulder the pressure of tens of thousands of fans in a stadium –– of millions around the world –– and channel it into something that allows them to attempt an act of brilliance. Who fills that void in America’s most-watched sport, if not the quarterback?
Camden Lewis is the Oregon Ducks’ fifth-year kicker. He’s gone from something of an unknown quantity in 2019 to one of the team’s veteran fixtures. In his words in an interview during Oregon’s 2023 media day from 247Sports’ YouTube channel, “I feel very old.” In the Cornelius, N.C. native’s five years in Eugene, he’s improved exponentially, bettering his field goal make percentage in every complete season but 2020, and defining what a kicker can be.
Lewis told reporters at Oregon’s 2023 media day, “I’ve tried to focus on [improving] kickoffs…but honestly it’s just confidence –- you don’t get nervous any more after this long [and] I feel like a different person after this long.” That confidence is what drives gamechangers in high-pressure moments, when adrenaline is coursing through their veins.
Now, when Lewis’ number is called, he’s poised and ready to step up. Already this year, he’s secured Oregon’s closest win yet: a 38-30 win over Texas Tech where he stepped up with 1:10 left to put the Ducks ahead for good from 34 yards. The ball was in play for two or three seconds, but in that time, Lewis and the Oregon special teams unit pushed aside any momentary danger to Oregon’s previously undefeated record.
Of course, that’s not the play that anyone remembers from Oregon’s Week 2 win –– that title goes to Jeffrey Bassa’s pick-six that put the game to bed –– but Lewis isn’t worried about that. In his media day interview, he showered praise on long snapper Luke Basso, noting in the process that “He knows that he’s not going to get any sort of recognition … the reality is that if he was just as good at that as he is at throwing a football, then it’d be a completely different thing. I think he’s content with that [and] we’re all cool with it. We’re specialists, it’s what we do.”
That mentality is called into action when, as Lewis touched on in the media day interview, he misses a kick. It’s moments like the Ducks’ loss to No.5Washington, where Lewis missed his 43-yard kick as time expired, or in the Ducks’ last-second win in the Holiday Bowl against the University of North Carolina. In San Diego, Lewis’ final extra point to put Oregon ahead with just seconds remaining, banged off the right upright… and in. Despite that, he says, “I’ve already forgotten it.”
Instead, he sees it as an opportunity to develop that mental strength that, by necessity, comes with the eyes of the world. He told media before the season, “Over time, I’ve gotten more and more confident … I want to go out there –– I wouldn’t say that I’m rooting for field goals, but I love kicking field goals.”
However, he hasn’t had much of a chance to tally up points this year; in the Ducks’ three games entering their trip to Seattle against Hawaii, No. 19 Colorado and Stanford, Lewis only attempted three field goals. It’s not a coincidence that Oregon won those games by a combined score of 139-22; the Ducks rarely needed his services outside of kicking off and extra points.
That won’t concern the Oregon coaching staff, though. Head coach Dan Lanning told the Daily Emerald’s Brady Ruth, “As the weather starts to change more and more throughout the season, the way you play from a specialist standpoint is huge, and you know Camden’s got a ton of experience. He’s been really consistent for us over time. We’ve got a lot of faith in him to go out there and execute.”
As Oregon rounds the corner into the “gauntlet” end of the season, facing several ranked teams, Lewis’ role in the team will be thrust into the spotlight in coming weeks. More than likely, his Ducks won’t be winning by 20 or 30 points on a weekly basis. Now it comes down, finally, to his ability to put three points on the scoreboard. It’s something that some might quiver at. As the game has developed into the 21st century, kickers’ margin for error has shrunk, with the NFL pushing the extra point to the 15-yard line (it remains at the 2-yard line in NCAA competition) in an effort to scare teams into avoiding the use of their kicker.
As the Ducks found out against Washington, it’s that margin that can decide games, or even seasons. The game’s defining moment, a last-second field goal try, sailed wide right as Lewis watched 70,000 purple-and-gold clad fans thrust Husky Stadium from its momentary silence into rapture. In his postgame press conference, Lanning backed his kicker, telling media that “Camden’s a winner…ultimately that happens — it’s a high pressure situation [and] it’s tough on the kicker but he should not wear the blame on this.”
An opportunity to continue rewriting that narrative will arrive on Saturday against No. 13 Utah. Lewis bounced back from the Washington miss with a 27-yard field goal and five extra points against Washington State in the Ducks’ 38-24 win. However, securing victory against the team who prevailed 34-32 courtesy of a last-second field goal (notice the theme?) against Caleb Williams and USC will be vital to sustain the Ducks’ playoff aspirations.
The truth is, a gamechanger is not only defined by their greatest moments. Sure, their trophy hoists are the ones that kids are told about and their success stories are the ones that’ll be marketed as inspirations, but their mentality is what drives them there — and moments like Lewis’ miss against Washington arguably do more for players than winning ever can. It’s not easy to win, but it’s even harder to come back from a loss, and those who do are stronger than ever. That’s what matters most, and that’s how to be a gamechanger.
