By Rubin E. Grant
For someone who has played the international game of football — better known in these parts as soccer — practically his entire life, Vestavia Hills junior Carter Shirley is beginning to act like the American brand of football is his future.
Shirley has been playing soccer since he was 4 and plays in the Major League Soccer’s elite MLS Next program, but this fall he decided to give football a try as the Rebels’ place-kicker.
He has looked like a natural. Three weeks ago, he kicked three field goals in the first half – covering 36, 23 and 22 yards – to account for all of Vestavia Hill’s points in the half as the Rebels thumped Spain Park 36-7.
Last Friday, he booted a 27-yard field goal in the Rebels’ 52-10 homecoming rout of Chelsea.
“All my friends had been telling me for a long time I should play football,” Shirley said. “But it was really my stepdad who told me I should go try kicking.”
Shirley’s stepdad, Heath Boackle, had played football in high school at Huffman and was instrumental in Shirley teaching himself how to kick a football.
“I started off kicking the football with my stepdad,” Shirley said. “I love watching college football, so I watched YouTube videos of college or pro kickers and saw how it worked, how to generate momentum on a kick and how to be pretty accurate.”
First-year Vestavia Hills head coach Robert Evans had been on the lookout for a kicker since the spring. Shirley arrived on his radar and Evans considers him a godsend.
“He really came out of nowhere,” Evans said. “Our kicking situation was unsettled, so I started recruiting guys who played soccer.
“He came to spring training, but he had never kicked before. During the summer, he came up to the school by himself in the heat of the day and kicked. After he kicked a couple, he would take the soccer ball and dribble it to go pick up the footballs and kick again.
“He molded himself into a viable kicker. It’s amazing. I never came across anybody who did not understand how to kick a football and now can kick field goals from 45-50 yards out.”
The biggest thing Shirley had to learn was perhaps the simplest.
“After you kick it, you have to take a little skip step on your swing through,” Shirley said. “It might not seem like the hardest thing, but I had to learn how to do those skip steps.”
Shirley had it down pat against Spain Park when he made his first three field goals of the season.
“I felt pretty good,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I was nervous. I just focused on the ball and kind of did it.”
Shirley’s second field goal was set up after he forced a fumble on a kickoff return.
“I don’t think he’s ever made a tackle in his life,” Evans said, “but he caused a big fumble and we got points off a turnover.”
Shirley stunned himself with the tackle. “That was unbelievable,” he said, “but a big thrill.”
The 5-foot-9, 145-pound Shirley has continued to play soccer this fall. On most days, after he finishes football practice he heads to practice with the Hoover-Vestavia Soccer MLS Next team.
“It’s the top league in Alabama,” Shirley explained. “This is the second year for the MLS Next program in Alabama. We have games like on every weekend. We go to Atlanta and Charlotte and also have games in Birmingham. It’s a 10-monthlong season.”
Shirley plays on the wing as an attacker. Since he is involved in the MLS Next program, he is not allowed to play for Vestavia Hills’ high school soccer team, but football is another matter and he’s enjoying himself.
“I love soccer, but there’s just something about football,” Shirley said. “Now that I’ve started kicking I would like to play in college.”
Because of soccer, Shirley won’t be able to attend a kicking camp, but during the offseason he will be working out at UAB with a former kicker.
Meanwhile, Shirley has gotten caught up in Vestavia Hills’ push for a playoff berth. With their lopsided victory against Chelsea, the Rebels evened their overall record at 3-3, 2-2 in Class 7A, Region 3.
Vestavia Hills visits Hewitt-Trussville (4-3, 2-2) Friday night in a key region game.
“This is an important one,” Shirley said. “If we can win out, we’ve got a good chance of making the playoffs.”
