Arizona kicker Tyler Loop 'super thankful' for 'great ride' with Wildcats

Arizona senior kicker Tyler Loop wasn’t among the finalists for the Lou Groza Award for college football’s top kicker this week.

Kenneth Almendares (Louisiana), Ryan Fitzgerald (Florida State) and Alex Raynor (Kentucky) were named as the final three on Tuesday.

Loop has the résumé for the Groza Award. He’s made 18 of 22 field goals and 22 of 24 on PATs this season — and some of those misses were due to a shaky hold.

In field goals of at least 50 yards, Loop is 6 for 8 this season, which includes a program-record 62-yard field goal. Loop has 51 touchbacks on 54 attempts this season. His kickoff rate was worsened against TCU, which had two returns against the Wildcats.

Over his five-year career, Loop’s 84.8% field-goal rate currently ranks 24th in college football history; it’s also the best in Arizona history. Loop’s 326 points is third in school history behind Max Zendejas (360) and Art Luppino (337). In the last two seasons, he’s received Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week and Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week.

The Lou Groza Award would’ve been fitting for Loop, who has one of the best kicking careers in Arizona history, but “that’s not in my control,” he said.

“It’s one of those things where it’s like, yeah, it’s cool to win or it’s cool to be recognized for that, but the body of work I accumulated in college and the process I’ve gone through in college has set me up well for the next level. I’ve been able to do some awesome things here at Arizona and develop some special relationships. At the end of the day, it’s really not in my control.”

Arizona center Josh Baker said Loop “deserves a lot of recognition.”

“He’s the best kicker I’ve ever been around,” said Baker. “He’s the best kicker I’ve ever seen. I personally think he’s the best kicker in the country, so I think he deserves recognition.”

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Loop looked back on his time with the Wildcats ahead of Arizona’s final game of the season against ASU.

How do you reflect on your time at Arizona?

A: “Super-thankful. I loved my time here. There’s been a lot of ups and downs, three different head coaches, seen a lot of guys come in and out of this building but it’s been so special. The relationships you build, the friendships you make and you get to see a lot of different walks of life and how people approach their work. It’s pretty special. ... It’s been super-special and a great ride.”

What have you learned about the Territorial Cup rivalry?

A: “The history of it, I learned a lot about it because until my junior year of high school, I didn’t know what the U of A was. So when I got out here and started learning about the Territorial Cup, it was really cool. I grew up in Texas, I thought the most bitter, big-time rivalry was Texas versus (Texas A&M). But then I got out here and was like, ‘Ooh, this one is bitter and hate-filled and it’s a big deal for both schools. It’s about pride, it’s about honor. Records go out the window with this one. ... It’s about respect and honor and everything with the state.”

Last week, were you frustrated when TCU impacted your touchback rate with kick returns?

A: “I knew they were going to do it, too. ... I saw the returner back up to 9 (yards) deep in the end zone and I was like, ‘Yeah, he’s taking this out.’ I was annoyed because that was a total pride shot from that team to do that, and then put their returner on the 5-yard line the rest of the game. That just shows where that team was at in how they respected us. Not only on special teams but overall. But anyways, good game. ... Touchbacks are a luxury, so expect to cover. Our guys, they’re always racing down to the end zone. We have a competition to see who finishes first in the end zone, obviously keeping lane integrity on that play. The plan this week is out of the back (of the end zone). This is my last ride at Arizona Stadium. I love kicking here, so that ball is going in the stands.”

How do you think your time at Arizona has prepared you for the NFL?

A: “Right now, it’s finishing out this week and make my kicks now. Honestly, I’ve learned some good pieces of advice from coaches over the year. The two that have stuck with me this year is Bobby Wade, we were running out for the first game, and he goes, ‘You can’t make two kicks on this kick. You can only make one at a time, so don’t worry about it.’ (Strength and conditioning coach Cullen Carroll), I was talking to him the other day, and he was like, ‘You’re not going to be judged on how well you make it, you’re going to be judged on how well you can miss. How well can you miss, reset mentally and go back out mentally and step up to the challenge?’ If you let misses and stats and all of those things cloud your process on the field, in any position, that only hinders your performance. Learning those things and the thought process of what it takes to be at that level, it’s been something big for me.”