Kicker Tyler Loop turning Arizona experience into fuel for NFL journey

It’s not unusual for a former play to stop by one of Arizona’s practices this spring.

Most of Arizona’s NFL Draft hopefuls have been spotted at Arizona Stadium and the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility, including wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea, kicker Tyler Loop and running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt.

“It’s fun being around the guys and hanging out, helping out if I can,” Loop said. “It’s been a blast. It’s fun to see the smiles and be around that atmosphere. Being removed from it for a little while is nice, but I’m itching to get back. It’s a microdose being around those guys.”

When Loop returns to football, it’ll be for the NFL’s rookie minicamp following next week’s draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Loop could become the first UA kicker drafted since Nick Folk in 2007. Loop said “he’s had a couple of Zoom calls” with NFL teams, but didn’t disclose who they were.

In five years at Arizona, the Lucas, Texas native recorded an 83.8% field-goal rate, which currently ranks 39th in college football history; it’s also the best mark in Arizona history. Loop’s 327 points are third in school history behind Max Zendejas (360) and Art Luppino (337).

Loop was 6 for 9 in field goals of at least 50 yards in 2024, which included a program-record 62-yard field goal. Loop owns the UA single-game school record with five field goals against Texas Tech. In his last two seasons at Arizona, Loop had 126 touchbacks in 140 attempts (90%).

He also experienced three different head coaches between Kevin Sumlin, Jedd Fisch and Brent Brennan — and three different special teams coordinators.

Since his last game at Arizona in November, Loop played in the Hula Bowl, an all-star showcase for draft-eligible players, and “it was all pretty much training for the (NFL Scouting Combine) after that,” he said.

Loop was among the top kickers at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. In the kicking competition, Loop made 13 of 14 field goals (93.3%) and tied Florida State’s Ryan Fitzgerald for the second-best field-goal rate; both made 60-yard field goals to end the competition. Lenny Krieg from Germany made all 14 of his attempts.

Loop said the NFL Scouting Combine and preparing for the NFL Draft “has been an absolute blast,” but the highlight of his offseason was getting engaged to his now-fiancée, Julia. The two were friends and “towards the end of our senior year, we started to hang out more.”

“Dang it, this girl is really cool,” Loop said. “I wasn’t sure if I was coming back for my fifth year or not and she wasn’t sure if she was coming back for her masters (degree). Towards the end of the spring semester, I was like, ‘Well, if we’re both going to be here, I might as well ask her on a date.’ It’s been awesome.”

Their first date, like many others in Tucson, was a round of putt-putt at “Golf N’ Stuff.” The rest was history.

Loop recently joined “Spears & Ali” on ESPN Tucson to discuss his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine and how Arizona molded him for his next chapter in the NFL.

How was the experience at the NFL Scouting Combine?

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A: “It was really cool how it was put together. There was a handful of guys who were invited from the international player pathway and there a handful guys coming out college. They basically split us up into two teams and had us compete on the same set of field goals. It was cool to see a lot of the guys in my class who I never met before and are considered some of the top kickers in my class. To see them perform, that was really cool.

“Overall, the combine is like no other experience. You’re kind of thrusted into a lot of hurry-up-and-wait (situations). You’re doing all of the medical imaging, all the interviews and getting brought here and there. You gotta be on go-mode all the time. Mentally you have to be prepared for long hours and stay locked in to what’s going on and be on your game the whole time. It was fun, but it was also really challenging. ... I was there from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. waiting for my name to be called for my X-rays and MRIs.”

How did the time at Arizona shape you for the NFL?

A: “It is one of the coolest things, just knowing I get that opportunity. The best thing I experienced at Arizona, which is also the hardest, I’ve had so many different coaching personalities and different ways things are run with different coaching staffs. That came with its challenges, but from the perspective of how things are run under different people and being able to adapt over the course of your career, while maintaining success, that’s one of the biggest things I’ll take away from my time Arizona. Just making things work any way I can.”

What is your favorite memory from your Arizona career?

A: “I’ll give you my game memory and off-the-field memory. Game memory, in 2022, we’re playing the school up north and Isaiah Taylor gets that game-sealing pick. That feeling, knowing we won that game, especially after 70-7 and the year before, coming back to win that game was incredible.

“Off the field, we were in Colorado in 2023 and Jonah Savaiinaea, his brother and a couple of other guys found a piano in the lobby. The hotel we were staying at had this big atrium in the lobby and you could hear everything. They start playing the piano and probably 10 or 15 dudes gathered around and started singing. It was really cool and it was hilarious. Everyone started joining in and everyone in the lobby were watching. Being a part of that team was a lot of fun.”

I’d imagine a song like “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” was played just like “Remember the Titans.”

A: “Everything along those lines, man.”

How did you go from a wide-eyed freshman in 2020 to one of the top kickers in Arizona history? What was key to your growth?

A: “When I first got here, Jeremy Springer, the special teams coordinator, he talked about competition, competition, competition. ‘Come in and be ready to compete. Even if it doesn’t seem like you’re going to get a shot, come in and compete.’ I was fully expecting to sit behind Lucas (Havrisik) and wait that Covid year out.

“I showed up and wanted to play, compete and be a part of this team early. I spent as much time as possible finding ways to push the other guys and sneak my way on the field and take advantage of opportunities when they arose. I’ve always been a competitive person, but my coaches have always told me, ‘The more you can compete, the more value you add to our team.’

“And I love the U of A. Coming out of high school, I had no idea Arizona existed. After coming out here for the first time, I fell in love with this place. I knew I wasn’t going to leave. I was going to stay and make my time here special. Thank the Lord, I was able to do that, whether it was competition or off-the-field stuff with my teammates. It was really special.”

Maybe you’ll be kicking for the Dallas Cowboys? Were the Cowboys your favorite team growing up near Dallas?

A: “I was a big soccer fan growing up, so I didn’t really have a team. My family members are huge Cowboys fans and we always watched the games. I got distracted watching (English) Premiere League. Kicking for the Cowboys, that would be awesome.”