Alexis Serna
Encyclopedia
Alexis Serna is a free agent placekicker
and punter in the Canadian Football League
. He graduated from A. B. Miller High School
in Fontana, California
. He was the starting placekicker
and punter for the Oregon State University
football team, the Oregon State Beavers
, from 2004-2007. He won the 2005 Lou Groza Award
which recognized him as the best placekicker in the United States
. On June 3, 2008, Serna signed a contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
of the Canadian Football League
and was the team's starting kicker, replacing Troy Westwood
. On August 10, 2010, Serna was released by the Blue Bombers.
career, one that did not start out on the best foot. His first game as the starting kicker for Oregon State was a trial by fire. The Beavers opened the 2004 season visiting the reigning 2003 BCS
national champions LSU Tigers
in their famously raucous Tiger Stadium. The Beavers gave the highly-favored Tigers a very close game, however Serna, then a walk-on redshirt freshman, became the focal point when he missed three extra point
(PAT) attempts in a game the Beavers lost by one point, 22-21. Complicating matters for Serna, the game ended in an exciting overtime period that hinged on him kicking a PAT to keep the Beavers in the game. When he missed, he immediately pulled off his own helmet and yelled in frustration. An Associated Press
photographer caught the moment, and the resulting photo became well publicized by the sports media as a poignant symbol of the trials of kickers in a week where a number of other kickers also missed key kicks.
After the heartbreaking loss and the surge in press coverage, Serna received hundreds of letters of support from people across the country. One of these letters came from 12-year-old Austan Pierce, a boy receiving cancer treatment from Sacred Heart Children's Hospital in Spokane, Washington
. Serna was so moved by his words of encouragement that he wrote an "A" on his left thumb and a "P" on his right thumb before each game from then on, to remind him of Austan's words. Serna went on to complete 29 consecutive extra points and make 17 of 20 field goals in the remainder of the season, earning Pac-10 special teams Player of the Week twice and becoming a finalist for the 2004 Lou Groza Award in the process. By the end of the season, the same media outlets that had commented on Serna's struggle as a kicker touted his subsequent success. He was also named to the College Football News Freshman All-American second team. and to The Sporting News
Freshman All-American first team.
in the 2005 season. After the meeting he is quoted as saying "For a boy who has already endured more pain and hurt at age 12 than most of us will ever experience in our own lifetime, Austan is courageous as they come." Alexis went on to win the Lou Groza award in 2005.
team, Serna successfully kicked four of six field goals (measuring 47, 31, 53, and 20 yards each, with one being blocked) and three extra points. The Beavers won 33-31, ending the Trojans' impressive 38-game regular-season winning streak. Serna capped the season with a game-winning field goal over rival University of Oregon in the 110th edition of the annual Civil War game
at Reser Stadium.
Serna was named to Athlon Sports All-America Second Team at placekicker.
Starting the 2009 campaign, punter Mike Renaud was brought in to allow Serna to concentrate on place kicking. As of week 7, he has been 14 for 17, and 24 for 28 stretching back to the 2008 season, proving to be one of the most consistent kickers in the CFL.
On August 10, 2010, Serna was released by the Blue Bombers.
record, and only one behind the NCAA
record of 7. He also holds the Oregon State record for consecutive successful extra points at 144.
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
and punter in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He graduated from A. B. Miller High School
A. B. Miller High School
A. B. Miller High School is one of five high schools in the Fontana Unified School District that services students in the Fontana area of California...
in Fontana, California
Fontana, California
Fontana is a city of 196,069 residents in San Bernardino County, California. Founded in 1913, it remained essentially rural until World War II, when entrepreneur Henry J. Kaiser built a large steel mill in the area...
. He was the starting placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
and punter for the Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
football team, the Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State Beavers
The Oregon State Beavers is a name shared by all sports teams at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers are part of the Pacific-12 Conference . Oregon State's mascot is Benny the Beaver...
, from 2004-2007. He won the 2005 Lou Groza Award
Lou Groza Award
The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza.-Winners:...
which recognized him as the best placekicker in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. On June 3, 2008, Serna signed a contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
and was the team's starting kicker, replacing Troy Westwood
Troy Westwood
Troy Westwood is a Canadian Football League place kicker and punter who played 17 years for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers....
. On August 10, 2010, Serna was released by the Blue Bombers.
2004 season
Serna leads what has been described as a storybook collegeCollege
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
career, one that did not start out on the best foot. His first game as the starting kicker for Oregon State was a trial by fire. The Beavers opened the 2004 season visiting the reigning 2003 BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
national champions LSU Tigers
LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers are the athletic teams of Louisiana State University. They participate in the NCAA's Division I, in the Southeastern Conference. It fields teams in 14 varsity sports . Its official team nickname is the Fighting Tigers and the school mascot is Mike the Tiger...
in their famously raucous Tiger Stadium. The Beavers gave the highly-favored Tigers a very close game, however Serna, then a walk-on redshirt freshman, became the focal point when he missed three extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
(PAT) attempts in a game the Beavers lost by one point, 22-21. Complicating matters for Serna, the game ended in an exciting overtime period that hinged on him kicking a PAT to keep the Beavers in the game. When he missed, he immediately pulled off his own helmet and yelled in frustration. An Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
photographer caught the moment, and the resulting photo became well publicized by the sports media as a poignant symbol of the trials of kickers in a week where a number of other kickers also missed key kicks.
After the heartbreaking loss and the surge in press coverage, Serna received hundreds of letters of support from people across the country. One of these letters came from 12-year-old Austan Pierce, a boy receiving cancer treatment from Sacred Heart Children's Hospital in Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
. Serna was so moved by his words of encouragement that he wrote an "A" on his left thumb and a "P" on his right thumb before each game from then on, to remind him of Austan's words. Serna went on to complete 29 consecutive extra points and make 17 of 20 field goals in the remainder of the season, earning Pac-10 special teams Player of the Week twice and becoming a finalist for the 2004 Lou Groza Award in the process. By the end of the season, the same media outlets that had commented on Serna's struggle as a kicker touted his subsequent success. He was also named to the College Football News Freshman All-American second team. and to The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
Freshman All-American first team.
2005 season
In the 2005 season he put up even more impressive numbers on his way to winning the Lou Groza Award and several All-American titles, including a place on the AFCA Coaches’ All-America First Team. Austan's cancer going into remission, Serna met Austan for the first time after a victory over Washington StateWashington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
in the 2005 season. After the meeting he is quoted as saying "For a boy who has already endured more pain and hurt at age 12 than most of us will ever experience in our own lifetime, Austan is courageous as they come." Alexis went on to win the Lou Groza award in 2005.
2006 season
He returned to play in the 2006-07 season for the Beavers. At the October 28, 2006 meeting with the then-#3-ranked University of Southern California Trojans footballUniversity of Southern California Trojans football
The USC Trojans football program, established in 1888, represents the University of Southern California in college football. USC is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I FBS and the Pacific-12 Conference . The Trojans have been a football powerhouse throughout NCAA...
team, Serna successfully kicked four of six field goals (measuring 47, 31, 53, and 20 yards each, with one being blocked) and three extra points. The Beavers won 33-31, ending the Trojans' impressive 38-game regular-season winning streak. Serna capped the season with a game-winning field goal over rival University of Oregon in the 110th edition of the annual Civil War game
Civil War (college football game)
The Civil War is the colloquial name for an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Oregon Ducks football team of the University of Oregon and the Oregon State Beavers football team of the Oregon State University...
at Reser Stadium.
2007 season
Serna returned for his senior season as the starting placekicker. Due to 2006 punter Kyle Loomis' last-minute departure from the program, Serna was also expected to be the starting punter for the season.Serna was named to Athlon Sports All-America Second Team at placekicker.
Professional career
Serna was signed by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on June 3, 2008 to compete with embattled 17 year veteran Troy Westwood in training camp. After Westwood was released in training camp, Serna became the lone kicker/punter on the roster. After starting his pro career 7 for 7 for field goals, he followed by going 10 for 20 and making 17 of the remaining 24 of the season to finish 34 of 51. He became heavily criticized by the media, by then head coach Doug Berry and public at large during his mid-season struggles.Starting the 2009 campaign, punter Mike Renaud was brought in to allow Serna to concentrate on place kicking. As of week 7, he has been 14 for 17, and 24 for 28 stretching back to the 2008 season, proving to be one of the most consistent kickers in the CFL.
On August 10, 2010, Serna was released by the Blue Bombers.
Legacy
Serna holds several Oregon State records, including kicking the most field goals in a single game (6 vs. Washington in an 18-10 victory in 2005), which is also tied for the Pac-10Pacific Ten Conference
The Pacific-12 Conference is a college athletic conference that operates in the Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I; its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of NCAA Division I football competition...
record, and only one behind the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
record of 7. He also holds the Oregon State record for consecutive successful extra points at 144.