People who think the Chicago Bears are going to move on from Cody Parkey this offseason should remember the name Cole Tracy. He’s considered to be one of the best kickers in the 2019 NFL draft class this year coming off a strong senior season in which he went from tiny Assumption College to LSU without missing a beat.
He delivered on 29-of-33 kicks last year, good for an 87.9% accuracy rate with a long of 53 yards. In addition, he showcased his ability to deliver under pressure. Trailing Auburn 21-19 with just seconds remaining, the Tigers called on him to make a 42-yard field goal on the road with thousands of fans deafening the place.
Tracy swung the leg and the ball went right down the pipe without a single moment of doubt. Moments like that seemed to catch the Bears’ attention. They were one of the first teams to meet with him upon arrival at the Senior Bowl down in Mobile according to Pro Football Weekly.
Asked if he had watched the Bears-Eagles playoff game where Parkey missed the potential game-winning kick, Tracy said: “Absolutely. It’s tough when you see a guy in a spot like that. You need to clear your mind and go back to what works. Get back to your fundamentals and find that groove again.”
Tracy told PFW he met with the Bears briefly down here and expects to hear more from them throughout the draft process…
…”Man, I’d love to kick there,” he told us. “I’ve shown I can kick in all kinds of weather, all different conditions, big stadiums, small ones, ones with wind, whatever.”
Cole Tracy is well-versed with poor kicking conditions like Chicago
People will automatically think this kid has made his name in ideal conditions. He went to high school in California and got onto the NFL radar in the warm climates of Baton Rouge. He has no idea how to kick in cold, windy conditions he’s bound to see in Chicago. Except that’s not true. Between those two stints, Tracy cut his teeth where great kickers live or die.
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That being Massachusetts. Everybody knows the east coast is notorious for foul weather in the fall and winter with high winds and sudden immense snow falls. You need to be exceedingly accurate playing out there. Tracy knows because he did that his first three years of college playing for Assumption.
The tiny university is located in Worcester, just a 50-minute drive from Foxboro where the New England Patriots reside. The same team that produced all-time great Adam Vinatieri and Pro Bowler Stephen Gostkowski. It’s also the state where former Super Bowl champion Stephen Hauschka got his start. Great kickers tend to do well in Massachusetts.
Tracy was no exception, going 68-of-84 on all his field goal attempts including 27-of-29 his final year there. It’s not hard to see why the Bears are interested.
