A little more than a month ago, Sam Ficken went from brokerage dealer to NFL kicker — and the former Nittany Lion took full advantage of his surprising opportunity.
Ficken — who finished his rollercoaster Penn State career in 2014 as one of the program’s most clutch kickers in recent memory — was signed by Los Angeles Rams in late December.
Rams reliable placekicker Greg Zuerlein landed on injured reserve, and Los Angeles needed a replacement for its playoff push. They picked Ficken, and he repaid their trust — rebounding from a tough first game to hit two field goals in the regular-season finale and another two in the Rams’ divisional round loss to the Atlanta Falcons.