SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Blaze announced Wednesday afternoon the signing of one of the most vilified players in football history, apart from Ray Finkle, in former Boise State kicker Kyle Brotzman.
Brotzman is known not for his long list of achievements but for the two missed kicks against Nevada on the road that cost the Broncos a shot at cracking the BCS for the third time and the university close to $16 million.
"I tend to look at him as more famous than infamous because of what he has accomplished as a player," said Utah coach Ron James in a press release. "You can't gauge his career off an unfortunate set of circumstances. He has a very strong leg and he's a tough kid. We're really excited to have him here."
What's quickly forgotten is the success he experienced before the 34-31 overtime loss to the Wolfpack.
Brotzman is the all-time leading scorer in Boise State and Western Athletic Conference history with 67 field goals and 238 extra points for 439 career points.
He was a finalist for the Lou Groza award for the best kicker in the country and the catalyst to the Broncos' second Fiesta Bowl win over TCU in 2010, completing a gutsy fourth quarter fake punt pass that led to the eventual winning score.
"I've learned a lot. That was a humbling experience," said Brotzman, "but a lot of good can come out of negative things. I received a lot of support and learned what really mattered in life."
After receiving numerous threats on his life via telephone messages and harassing pages on social networking sites, the "Bronco Nation Loves Kyle Brotzman" page was created on Facebook in support of the kicker. The page has close to 46,000 fans currently.
This marks the second time Brotzman tried out with the Blaze after his first stint on May 16. He opted to play in the Canadian Football League before returning to Utah.
He will make his AFL debut Saturday at EnergySolutions Arena against the Pittsburgh Power as the Blaze look to put an end to a three-game slide.
email: tphibbs@desnews.com