MORGANTOWN — A simple conversation in the bleachers of a Cross Lanes Christian School soccer game in 2017 changed the course of Casey Legg’s athletic career.
Someone on the opponent’s side, Legg recalled it either being a parent or grandparent, asked Legg’s mom, Leigh, if her son had ever kicked a football before.
The answer was a quick no.
But the idea of kicking a prolate spherloid instead of a round soccer ball was definitely intriguing for the now WVU football senior.
“I had a couple of days off of school so we thought might as well go try it,” Legg said. “I really don’t think I would have ever tried it if that parent wouldn’t have asked my mom that question.”
Five years later, Legg will man the placekicking duties for the Mountaineers, something he’s done for part of the last four seasons. This season, the gig appears to be his and his alone.
If not for a simple suggestion for an innocent bystander, Legg, a Charleston native, may be on the pitch on some college campus playing soccer.
Instead, he had to make his way to the local sporting goods store and grab some footballs before heading out to Laidley Field in Charleston on a Wednesday in October.
“We had to go to Dick’s and buy footballs,” Legg said “I was completely out of it. I had one of those old, orange tees. Not the kick-off tee but almost the metal field-goal tee. I brought it out and kicked at Laidley Field. I loved it. Loved it. I kicked well and that was probably out of complete beginner’s luck because I had no idea what I was doing. I just looked at the ball and kicked it.”
And kick it he did, over and over again until he fell in love with the sport.
Lucky for Legg, then-WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen was in a desperate situation. He needed to find a kicker, and with the help of former WVU punter Mike Molinari, stumbled on Legg before eventually inviting him to campus to tryout for the team.
Legg performed well enough to earn a spot on the roster, though he didn’t play as a true freshman in 2018. But come 2019 when current head coach Neal Brown took over, Legg found himself trotting on the field to kick a few extra points.
Then he started to come out for field goals — important ones, at that.
Legg made a career-long 51-yarder at Kansas State and continued to become more trusted by the coaches. He’s made 27 field goals in his career and will likely climb up the all-time records after this season.
Legg never went to camps or got much coaching prior to WVU — placekicking was self taught. Like golf, something Legg also likes to indulge himself in, it’s all about the swing.
“I do think it’s been catch-up for me with form in mind. Ever since I got here, it’s almost all been about making kicks,” Legg said. “I felt that pressure my true freshman year and I feel it today. Whatever form I have to use to make kicks, I’m going to use that form. When you change your form, there’s a process of you get worse before you get better. I don’t feel I’ve had time to do that since I’ve been here. That’s part of maybe the negative side of not having a coach early on in high school to build form lime you would a golf swing.”
A scholarship earned three years later, the calm, cool Legg continues to picture himself on a quiet soccer pitch instead of in a stadium with 60,000-plus fans.
