It took nearly five games, but Iowa football kicker Drew Stevens was no longer perfect. Standing near midfield in Columbus for the Hawkeyes’ Week 6 matchup against Ohio State, the third-year watched as his 51-yard offering sailed wide left for his first missed kick of the year. 

A make would’ve cut Iowa’s first-quarter deficit to four points and provided the team momentum in what would be an uphill battle against the then-No. 3 team in the nation. Such is the reality of a Division I college kicker, where consistent success is expected and any mistake invites outside criticism. 

Stevens’ career has shifted between these ups and downs, especially last season, when the kicker saw a strong start fizzle to an unceremonious end to the regular season. This experience put stress not just on Stevens’ physical ability, but his mental approach on the field– an element that he’s fortified with routine visits with Iowa’s sports psychologist Carmen Priebe-Tebbe. 

From a young player some saw as overconfident to a mature starter focused on his preparation and authenticity, Stevens has embraced the kicking role for both its pressure and difficulties. 

Coming into this season, the pressure has increased on Stevens. Before the season opener against Illinois State on Aug. 31, he was named to the Phil Steele preseason third-team All-Big Ten and was named to the Lou Groza Place-Kicker Award Preseason Watch List.

Stevens has handled every placement and kickoff honor for the Hawkeyes in all five games this season, scoring 33 points with six field goals and 15-of-15 on point-after attempts.

That includes a long of 46 yards, a career-high 5-of-5 on extra-point conversions in Iowa’s 38-21 win over Troy on Sept. 14, and eight kickoffs for 488 yards against Illinois State two weeks before.

In 2023, Stevens missed only three kicks over the first two months of the season and nailed a 52-yard field goal with less than a minute remaining to give Iowa a narrow victory over Northwestern. 

Yet Stevens struggled down the stretch, connecting on 50 percent of his field goal tries after the matchup against the Wildcats. In the regular season finale versus Nebraska, Stevens missed the first extra point try of his career and wound up benched in the fourth quarter as backup Marshall Meeder nailed the game-winning field goal. 

Such a disappointing finish brought both messages of hate and support, Stevens said, adding that he oftentimes tried to mask his emotions in an effort to not bring down his teammates. Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods said Stevens had a “false confidence” that year.

“I was hiding how I was actually feeling for the sake of the room, and apparently they could see right through it,” Steven said.

Priebe-Tebbe encouraged Stevens to focus on his mood, recognizing how it’s affecting his play and how he can prevent it from being a hindrance.

“Last year, she was more so just keeping my head in the right areas,” Steven said. “It’s easy when things are going [well] to stay on a good mental track. It’s when things are going bad. What do you do? What happens?”

As athletics across the U.S. have better recognized the role of mental health in athletes, from the likes of former NBA player John Wall to gymnastics great Simone Biles, such a tactic is not unfamiliar even among Iowa’s student-athletes.

In fact, starting Iowa men’s basketball guard Payton Sandfort met with a sports psychologist during his shooting slump at the beginning of the 2022-23 season, as detailed in a piece by the University of Iowa Center for Advancement.

“Everyone is so good at the Division I level, and at times, you’re going to get beat,” Sandfort told the center. “I’ve learned how to work through a lot of challenges. I’ve also learned a lot about myself and know when I need to take a little time for myself.”

According to Sport Psychology Today, only 25.7 percent of NCAA Division I athletic departments offer mental performance or mental health services. But it seems the need is much higher.

“The demands and time constraints student-athletes face are much different than your typical college student,” Patricia Espe-Pfeifer, the UI’s director of sports psychology and student-athlete mental health, told the center. “They have team practices, travel schedules, and classes—and, like other college students, they’re also away from home for the first time. Young adults all navigate it differently.” 

As Stevens developed his mental response with the sports psychologist, he employed a two-fold strategy that has contributed to his improvements this season.

First, he looked back at what he did well in his freshman year. Second, maximized his reps to get a better feel for the ball.

“I was definitely motivated,” Stevens said. “I mature late, and there’s so much more things I know now mentally, and I feel like I just combined the two, and I feel like that’s leading to success.”

Stevens still sees the sports psychologist this season even with his solid start, this time by bringing along long snapper Luke Elkin and the rest of the team’s specialist unit. 

“She’s really good just helping us with where our heads are at before the game,” Stevens said. “The preparation during the week is just as important as preparation on game day, and she helps us out with that.”

When Stevens trots out on the turf at Kinnick Stadium for Iowa’s game against Washington, the kicker’s authenticity will be as plain to see as the No. 18 on his black Hawkeye jersey. With his reinvented psyche, Stevens won’t shy away from anyone.

“If I’m feeling like s***, I’m going to show it to you. If I’m feeling good, I’m going to show it to you,” Stevens said. “Because I’m a human, and hiding it is harder and takes more energy than actually just expressing it.”