By Eric Tabor

On June 11 at the Albany Civic Center, history was made as Albany Panthers kicker Geoff Boyer connected on a rare drop kick for a field goal. This is believed to be the first drop kick field goal ever made in the Southern Indoor Football League.

The kicking technique has been all but extinct since the early 1960s, deemed too difficult and ineffective for competitive play.

However, Panthers head coach Lucious Davis opted to use Boyer’s unique skill — first noticed during practice, preceding workouts, and while executing gameday scenarios – late in the game when the Panthers were stopped short of a touchdown.

Boyer was told to do what he does. The referees (after stopping the game to consult one another) awarded four points for the kick, surprising the crowd, who believed the drop kick was worth only three points. After the game, players and coaches noted Boyer’s possible impact on not only Albany’s offensive game, the whole game of football. Having a kicker able to drop kick for four points with the reliability of a three-point place kicker is a “real weapon”, remarked General Manager Will Carter.