10 days ago, the Green Bay Packers were suddenly in need of a kicker after Brandon McManus hurt his quad muscle. 8 days late, a new kicker set the record for the longest field goal in franchise history. Here is the story of Lucas Havisrik, the record-breaking substitute kicker.

High School and College

Lucas Havisrik hails from Riverside, California. He was a kicker for Norco High School, where he went 48 for 50 on extra points and 11 for 16 on field goals according to tucson.com. He was a two star recruit and only accepted his lone offer, which was from the Arizona Wildcats.

At Arizona, Havisrik set a school record for longest field goal at 57 yards which one him Pac-12 special teams player of the week. He won the award again when he went 2-2 during a game in 2019 including a 50 yard field goal. He finished his college career going 73 for 78 on extra points and 34 for 53 on field goals.

NFL Journeyman

Since graduating, Lucas Havisrik has been on many stops around the NFL. He went undrafted in 2022, but signed with the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad that September. He was not a member of the active roster there or of the Cleveland Browns.

Havrisik became the starting kicker for the Los Angeles Rams in October of 2023 and remained in that position until January. In his first professional stint, he struggled at his position and was released after missing multiple extra point attempts. During his time in Los Angeles, he was a teammate with former Packer kicker Mason Crosby who was on the practice squad at that time.

Since leaving the Rams, Lucas Havrisik has not been the starting kicker for an NFL team. He returned to the Browns practice squad and was in the same position with the Buffalo Bills. Unable to start in the NFL, he signed with in the UFL with the Arlington Renegades where he led the league in total field goals made.

The Substitute Kicker

Finally, after the week 4 injury to Brandon McManus, Havrisik joined the Packers. In his first game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he went 5-5 on field goals and extra points. After the game, he stated in a locker room interview that if he had not signed by the Packers, he was going to look for work as a substitute teacher.

As a substitute kicker, Lucas Havrisik has performed excellently. He followed his perfect performance against the Bengals with another perfect game against the Arizona Cardinals. Among his 5 completed kicks was a 61 yard bomb that set the new Packers record.

His record broke the record held by his former Rams teammate Mason Crosby who hit a 58 yard field goal against the Minnesota Vikings in 2011. Crosby reached out to Havisrik on social media with congratulations and a joke about not knowing what to do with his record memorial football. Havisrik earned his own trophy in the form of a game ball given by Matt Lafleur.

Every season of football is a tapestry of stories woven together into a whole narrative. The journey of Lucas Havrisik from practice squads, to the UFL, to almost becoming a substitute teacher, to finally landing back in the NFL is a fun thread to trace. No matter how long he stays here, the legacy he has left in Green Bay should help him continue his football story.