Veteran Canadian kicker Brett Lauther knows the reality in professional football: perform or else.
Lauther missed four field goals from 30, 38, 43, and 48 yards in his team’s Week 11 loss to the Montreal Alouettes.
“I can’t go back in time and make those kicks. I want to go out and make those but for me, I feel like I still go work hard each and every week. Changing stuff in the season isn’t the smartest thing to do,” Lauther said.
“I’m putting my shoes on the same way, tying them one at a time and coming out and kicking balls, working hard in the gym, off the field and staying locked in mentally so I can go out there Thursday night and have a better game and hopefully we can get a win.”
The 33-year-old has the lowest hit rate on field goals since his rookie season in 2013. He’s made 71.4 percent of his field goal attempts in 2024 hitting 25-of-35 tries through 10 games.
“It’s been a terrible season for me, so if they bring another guy in, if they ever release me or make those decisions, cross that bridge when it happens,” Lauther said.
“It is pro sports and at this point, I’m not doing my job good enough so if that happens and they bring someone in, I’ll be the best teammate that I can be. I’m not going to change who I am as a person on or off the field and keep working hard.”
The Saint Mary’s University graduate has converted 81.5 percent of his field goals during his CFL career. He’s become known for making kicks at clutch times and from 50 yards or further.
“I’ve only had a certain sample size with Brett but that’s the kind of guy he is, he’s going to put it all on himself, he’s selfless from that standpoint,” head coach Corey Mace said.
“We made it very audible that there was a lot of stuff that we didn’t have to really rely on Brett to get the game handled. He seems laser-focused and locked in, he got a bunch of kicks up working on fine-tuning his craft and he’s treating it like a professional as he should. He had a bad day, we all have bad days, myself included. How do you respond?”
Rider Nation will find out how Lauther responds on Thursday night at BMO Field when Saskatchewan takes on the Toronto Argonauts.
