As another football season winds down for UCLA, another senior class prepares to play its last game in Bruin uniforms. With Saturday being Senior Day at the Rose Bowl, the USC game will be the final chapter of college football for 17 players on the UCLA roster.
One of those players is redshirt senior kicker Kai Forbath. Forbath ““ the recipient of last season’s Lou Groza Award, given to the nation’s best kicker ““ sat down with the Daily Bruin’s Sam Strong to discuss everything from his career at UCLA to his love of surfing.
Daily Bruin: What are your thoughts as you head into your last game as a Bruin?
Kai Forbath: It’s happened really fast. The season went by really fast, and it’s too bad it hasn’t exactly gone the way we wanted it to.
DB: You decided to hold off on the NFL for a year to come back for your senior season. Do you ever have second thoughts or think about what could have been?
KF: I’m happy with my decision. We haven’t had as many kicks as we usually do, but that one kick against Oregon State made it all worth it to come back for. Spending this last year with my teammates has been a lot of fun, and I don’t regret it at all.
DB: What’s something that you will always remember about your time here at UCLA?
KF: That kick against Oregon State was probably my best memory so far. That was hard to beat.
DB: You got all the press after the Oregon State game, and other times, when you miss a kick, there’s a lot of blame placed on you. Do you relish that role?
KF: I love the pressure that comes with the job. Being able to go out and win a game for your team with one second left, there’s no greater feeling than that. It’s a lot of pressure if you miss, and no one will forget that, but it’s fun having that pressure.
DB: Favorite road trip?
KF: I would say either Tennessee or Texas. Those were amazing places to play, and I’ll never forget those atmospheres. Those were two big games where we got wins, so those were unforgettable.
DB: If football doesn’t work out for you, what are you looking to do after graduation?
KF: I did an internship last summer with a commercial real estate company, so I got a little preview into that. Maybe I’ll try to do that. I haven’t really thought about it too much yet.
DB: What’s one thing that people might not know about Kai Forbath?
KF: I love cooking, and my favorite channel on TV is the Food Network.
DB: What’s your favorite dish to whip up?
KF: I don’t have a favorite thing to cook. Whatever my mom is in the mood for at the time, I’ll find a recipe and cook that for her.
DB: Take me through your pre-kick routine.
KF: I’m doing everything I can to stay calm and focused. When I’m out on the field, the only thing I’m thinking about is keeping my eyes back on the ball and swinging up through my target. If I keep t simple with those two things, I have more success than when I overthink things.
DB: Tell me about your relationships with redshirt senior holder Danny Rees and senior long snapper Christian Yount. You guys have been together for a while now.
KF: They’re great. We’re all best friends, and that’s huge in having success in special teams. Being able to trust them and know that they’re going to get their job done and they’re working just as hard as I am builds a lot of confidence in everybody, and that’s how we get things done.
DB: Word is that you’re a big surfer. What’s that hobby like for you?
KF: In season, I can’t really go much because I just don’t have time, but I grew up pretty close to the beach, so me and my friends surf all summer. It’s going to be a little hard to give up when I start training, but it’s always going to be a hobby of mine.
DB: What’s your favorite surf spot?
KF: We go all over. In the summers we hang out in Venice near the pier.
DB: How does the kick against Tennessee two years ago compare to the Oregon State kick?
KF: That was great, but it was different because they still had a chance to come back. It wasn’t like we kicked it, and we won. There was definitely a lot of pressure. I was younger then, but it was also a big win for our team. Those types of kicks, you never forget.
DB: This season, you’ve obviously had some kicks that you would like back. Does that give you more motivation going into this last game?
KF: I’ve forgotten about those already. I’m not going to miss for the rest of this season, and I have to go in there thinking that. I need to take advantage of every opportunity that I get, and our team needs it, too, so I’m focused and ready.
DB: How was receiving the Lou Groza award in Florida at the end of last season?
KF: It was an amazing experience. I got to meet a lot of guys who are playing in the NFL now. It really motivated me to try to go back and get it this year. We didn’t have the kind of season for that, but it was an incredible experience.
E-mail Strong at sstrong@media.ucla.edu.