Get to Know Your Orange Man: #91, K Andre Szmyt

Have you asked a Syracuse Orange fan recently if Szmyt happened? Well ask them after reading our next installment of “Get to Know Your Orange Man.”

Name: Andre Szmyt

Position: Kicker

Year: Redshirt Senior

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 202 lbs

Hometown: Vernon Hills, Ill.

High School: Vernon Hills

2021 stats: By Szmyt’s high standards, the kicker had a down year in 2021, missing his most field goals with five. As has been the case with the Orange offense, his usage has decreased because of the decrease in offensive production. He finished the year 9-14 kicking with a long of 48 yards.

2022 projections: The hope is that a change in offense gives Szmyt a chance to see the field more. He’s only attempted 25 field goals over the past two seasons as opposed to 20 attempts in 2019 and 34 attempts in 2018. Perhaps more consistency on the field gives Szmyt a chance to get into a rhythm and return to the 85%-plus form kicker we saw early in his career.

How’d he get here?: Former Orange staff member Dave Boller was recruiting Szmyt to Louisville, but took a position with Syracuse and brought the kicker along with him.

What’d recruiting sites say?: Four stars from Kohl’s Kicking.

Money quote: Many people expected Szmyt to head to the NFL, but the kicker told our Michael Ostrowski why he came back to the Orange.

“I kind of knew where I stood in the eyes of NFL scouts,” Szmyt said during spring training camp. “It’s not ideally what I wanted, and I know what I can achieve, so I decided I’m going to come back for another round.”

Twitter feed: @AndreSzmyt

Tweets of wonder: Rate the fit from summer camp last year.

Interesting nugget o’interest: Unless you’ve lived under a rock, you know that Szmyt is Syracuse’s all-time leader in points with 348 and field goals with 63.

Let’s get a look at ya: Back to better memories