Bootin’ Ben’s Special Boot

Kicking would be NOTHING like it is today without this special shoe made for a mutilated foot. Ben Agajanian made kicking a specialized role instead of it being an extra duty for players who had other things to do. Thus he completely reimagined how kicking was utilized in football. By the 1960s, thanks to Bootin’ Ben, kicking was no longer a hardly-used afterthought. Ben didn’t stop there. As a coach he mastered the introduction of soccer-style kickers, developed protocol for the line of scrimmage, the way the ball is snapped, the way it’s held, and the exact timing it all takes. He’s also the reason the quote “LACES OUT!” is synonymous with kickers. There’s a lot more to kicking than you realize. And today, kickers are just expected to be great! That’s because of all of the perfection applied to the position over the years. It all started with Ben Agajanian. BUT HERE’S THE BIG THING: he lost his toes in a work accident, and it should’ve ended his career! Luckily he had a special shoe made just for his mangled foot, and it powered him into a position to change football forever.