Jordan Noyes has kicked a ball in front of a bigger crowd than Declan Rice, Lucas Paquetá, Gianluca Scamacca or any other West Ham United player will this season.
The difference is that Hammers fan Noyes kicked a prolate spheroid-shaped brown ball, rather than a round white one, and he did so wearing a helmet and shoulder pads.
Yes, you guessed it. He was playing American, rather than Association football.
The date was 3 September 2022 and 90,799 fans were in the stands at The Swamp, where Noyes ignored the boos, whistles and other distractions to kick three two field goals and three extra points in the Utah Utes’ 29-26 loss to the Florida Gators in Gainesville.
Since then, Noyes has kicked in front of over a quarter of a million people in six further games, helping the Utes to four wins.
For the Kent-born Hammer, though, kicking in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision is all a far cry from the North Kent Sunday League, where he played for the team managed by his father David, Longfield Athletic.
At the age of 30, Noyes is one of the oldest players on any of the 131 college football teams in Division 1 and with a wife – also named Jordan – and three children – daughter Scottie and twins Skye and Summer – living with him in Salt Lake City, his story has caught the imagination of the American sports-loving public.
So, just how did he end up as a student-athlete, kicking in front of huge crowds on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean? We caught up with him to find out…
Jordan, let’s start with your background!
“I grew up in Kent, England with my parents, brother and two sisters, where we had an incredible upbringing. I grew up watching and playing football and all I wanted to do was become a footballer, with the help of my Dad.
“I played rugby at school and enjoyed most sports. Outside of school, I played in a Saturday league for Sutton Athletic and for my Dad’s Sunday league team, Longfield Athletic. I played various positions – centre-back, full-back and eventually up front due to the power of my shot. I was always on free-kicks and penalties and won ‘Goal of the Season’.
“I believe I could have had a future in football if I were more disciplined about my fitness, like I am now!”
How and why are you a Hammer?
“My Dad is the reason I am a West Ham fan, passed down from my Grandad. From around the age of five, my Dad, my brother Ryan and I would go to every home game at Upton Park and sit in the East Stand. There were also occasions the whole family and friends would go and these are memories I remember vividly and cherish to this day.
“Whenever West Ham won, my Dad would take us to Blockbuster (video) on the way back to our car and we would be allowed to buy one thing from the shop, which he regretted when we were in the Championship!”
Everyone has their West Ham heroes, so who are yours?
“When I was young, I tried to emulate my favourites and I remember wanting to be like Paolo Di Canio so much that I even bought the same pair of Fila boots that he used to wear!
“Two more players who I would love to play like were Joe Cole and Dimitri Payet. Joe Cole made the game look so effortless and the way he used to beat a player was inspiring to me, I also remember when I was lucky enough to shake his hand after a game one time and did not wash that hand for a few days!
“Then there was Payet, just the way he controlled the ball and would play was so inspiring for me at the time.”
What about your favourite games?
“There are three games that stick out to me. The first was the League Cup game against Millwall in 2009 where Zavon Hines put the game to bed and celebrated with the fans. Because of the rivalry, that feeling when he scored will stick with me forever!
“The second game was the 2012 Championship Play-Off final, when we beat Blackpool to go up. We went to the game and the atmosphere was like nothing I had ever experienced before. When Ricardo Vaz Tê scored the goal that put us up it was a mixture of relief and excitement!
“Finally, it has to be the last game at Upton Park. Unfortunately I could not be there as I had a wedding in America, but I managed to watch it on TV and I could feel the atmosphere through the screen. The last goal that Winston Reid scored after such a great season and farewell will be something that I will cherish forever.”
So, just how did you end up as an American football kicker?
“For my wedding in 2018, we were lucky enough to have our closest family and friends come and celebrate in Portugal, including Matt Gay, who was engaged and is now married to my wife’s cousin Millie and who had just been drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers [in the National Football League and now plays for the Los Angeles Rams].
“The day before the wedding, a group of friends and family played football, and Matt and I recognised that we had an almost identical technique and power in the way we kicked the ball. This led to a conversation, and he suggested that I send film to the college he was playing at the time, which was the University of Utah. So, for the next few months I sent him film of me practicing and he gave me tips and advice on how to improve my technique and skill.
“From that, in the summer of 2019 I managed to attend a camp at the University of Utah to try out and that in turn gave me the opportunity to ‘walk on’ to the Utes roster!
“Myself, my wife Jordan, and our daughter Scottie moved to Utah at the beginning of 2020 and in November of that year we welcomed twin girls, Summer and Skye.”
With the kicking itself, then, how do you handle the pressure in front of huge crowds? Can it be likened to taking a penalty?
“In terms of kicking in front of large crowds, the magnitude of that was something that took a few games to get used to, especially as Utah have an incredible fanbase.
“For me, I get to a place where I go into a zone and can block out any outside distractions and focus solely on the kick ahead of me. This is something that, through a lot of practice, has become second nature.
“I guess you could compare the pressure of it to a penalty. However, field goals can be taken from various positions on the field [up to 50-plus yards from the goalposts and three yards left or right of centre] and with expectations of timeframe and speed [as the defense try to break through and block the kick], which are not really relevant when taking a penalty.”
You have made over 50 straight extra points (kicks taken to add a single point after a touchdown is scored) and kicked eight field goals with a record long of 43 yards, to help the Utes win 17 games since you ‘walked on’ in 2020. What are your ambitions, individually and as a team?
“As a team, we are taking each game as it comes and our goal each week is to go 1-0, something instilled in us by our head coach, Coach [Kyle] Whittingham.
“With that being said, I have goals set to make it to the NFL and with hard work and the support around me from my wife and family I really can see me making the goal a reality.
“My NFL hero is my cousin Matt Gay and I have to thank him for all his help and advice along the way, I am where I am and remain grateful for his constant support, guidance and above all friendship. No matter how far I eventually get, everything I have achieved so far has a lot to do with him!”
*You can follow Jordan Noyes on Twitter here and Instagram here.
