Extra points

Alex McPherson recognizes God’s hand in his ability to accomplish big things with his right foot.

To non-Christians, that might explain why the Auburn University placekicker is quick to point skyward whenever he converts a field goal in a college football game. But McPherson also points toward heaven after every kick he misses–even though the junior hasn’t missed often.

That drew criticism this fall from pundits like Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy after McPherson uncharacteristically missed three field-goal attempts in a 23-17 loss to Missouri. Had he made those kicks, netting nine total points, Auburn might have upset college football’s No. 16-ranked team after losing three straight games to teams ranked in the Top 10.

“You shouldn’t be allowed to pretend you hit a [field goal] when you missed your 19th chip shot of the game,” Portnoy wrote on X.

But Portnoy doesn’t understand that McPherson’s gesture isn’t just celebratory: It’s a show of gratitude from a player who’s overcome great physical adversity. McPherson missed most of his sophomore season due to ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease that eventually required him to have his colon surgically removed.

“I praise the Lord, make or miss,” the 22-year-old from Fort Payne, Ala., said during a late October phone interview. “I praise Him in the highs and in the lows. He’s the reason I’m out there on that field. I trust in His plan.”

From his true freshman season in 2022 through last year, McPherson set an Auburn school record by booting 20 consecutive field goals without a miss. He went a perfect 13-for-13 in 2023.

That streak ended in 2024. After his ulcerative colitis sidelined him for several games to start the season, McPherson went 1-for-2 against Kentucky in a game that, in hindsight, marked an unwise attempt to come back too soon.

McPherson’s condition had already wreaked havoc on his body going into that game, making his weight fluctuate wildly. Listed at 150 pounds freshman year, he eventually dropped to 110.

“I lost mostly muscle,” McPherson said. “I don’t have a lot of body fat, so I had no strength to kick the ball. The amount of stress on my legs was constant. It caused a lot of fatigue.”

McPherson credits his high school sweetheart—now wife—Hannah with helping him through the ordeal.

“She did a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that no one got to see,” McPherson said. “She handled everything like a trooper. There were days when I didn’t feel good and did not want to talk to anybody. She stayed by my side. She loved me every day. I couldn’t imagine a better person to go [through this] with.”

Surgeons removed McPherson’s colon last December, and he started rehab soon after. Eventually, doctors cleared him to play football again, albeit with an ostomy bag in his abdomen that collects his waste.

By the end of spring, he was booming 65-yard kicks through the uprights at Auburn’s indoor practice facility.

Fast-forward to late October: One week after his disastrous outing against Missouri, McPherson tied a school record with a perfect 6-for-6 on field goals, lifting Auburn to a 33-24 triumph over Arkansas.

“It was awesome,” McPherson said. “I don’t think I’ve ever kicked six field goals in two games.”

McPherson was quick to give credit where it was due.

“I put a lot of faith in the Lord,” he said. “I trust Him in everything. He’s the one who got me to this point.”