By this point, Chicago Bears fans have a measure of how good Eddy Pineiro is. It's two games into the 2019 season and already he has shown just how talented a kicker he is. Not only is he a perfect 4-of-4 on field goals over that span, but two of them were over 50 yards including the clutch game-winner in Denver with one second left on the clock. After years of misery at the kicker position following the departure of Robbie Gould, the Bears finally seem to have their guy.
Already the legend of Pineiro is growing. A lot of people who know him going back years are hardly surprised. It was apparent as far back as high school that the guy had a pretty special leg. Before getting into football late in his high school career, he was an avid soccer player. During a profile piece by Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune, she interviewed his former soccer coach. It was here she heard a story that helps illustrate just how talented the guy is.
During Pineiro’s junior year at Miami Sunset Senior High School, a teammate opened a soccer game by tapping the ball to Pineiro, who took two steps and kicked a line drive into a top corner of the goal.
Two seconds and a 1-0 lead, courtesy of a “special” leg.
“Not many people on this planet can generate that much energy in such a short amount of space,” said Flipse, Pineiro’s soccer coach at Sunset. “That’s a talent you’re born with moreso than what you can develop. It’s like a pitcher who can throw 98, 100 mph. There’s just not many of them walking around on this earth.”
Eddy Pineiro could've kicked in the NFL in high school
For those who aren't soccer followers, a kick from midfield to the goal is roughly that of 50 yards. So he basically hit the equivalent of a 50-yard field goal. In high school. That's how impressive his leg was. With proper training, it was obvious to anybody with a brain that Pineiro could end up playing professionally in either soccer or football. He eventually had tryouts with both Alabama and Florida for their football programs. He received scholarship offers from both.
In the end, he chose to stay closer to home and went to Florida. There he was among the most accurate kickers in the nation. It wasn't enough to get him drafted, but he did earn a job offer as an undrafted free agent from the Oakland Raiders. It didn't take long for him to seize control of their competition during training camp and things got off to a great starter in the preseason. Then he got hurt. Forced onto Injured Reserve, the Raiders moved on with Daniel Carlson.
The Bears smelled an opportunity and so traded a future 7th round pick to them for his rights. Now here he is kicking them to victories. What a ride.
