PHILADELPHIA — Nick Sciba went from lobster and shrimp to placekicks and kickoffs over a span of 48 hours.
Sciba was back home in Clover, S.C., a town of 6,700 about 45 minutes southwest of Charlotte, when his phone rang Friday. It was the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sciba’s part-time gig at the Saltwater Markets fresh seafood grocer? It would have to wait.
When veteran Chris Boswell suffered a groin injury Friday, Sciba was needed to serve as the Steelers’ kicker in Sunday’s game at the Philadelphia Eagles. Sciba made field goals of 38 and 28 yards and converted his only extra-point try in being perfect on placekicks in his NFL debut, a 35-13 loss.
“It felt great. Loved every second of it,” Sciba said. “I hate the outcome, but I was glad I was able to help the team.”
The NCAA’s career record-holder for field-goal accuracy (89.9%), Sciba made 80 field goals and 193 extra points over a four-year career kicking for Wake Forest. He spent the summer and most of training camp with the Steelers as an undrafted rookie free agent, but with Boswell on board he wasn’t needed.
More on the Steelers’ loss to the Eagles:
• Hurts puts hurting on Steelers as woes in Philadelphia continue
• Steelers frustrated by inability to contain big plays against Eagles
• Kenny Pickett: Mental mistakes ‘need to get addressed’ before Steelers return from bye
• Ahkello Witherspoon benched in return to Steelers lineup after 4-game absence
When Sciba was part of the second wave of preseason cuts Aug. 23, coach Mike Tomlin told him the Steelers might do business with him in the future if they needed him at some point.
That future came Friday, when they got Sciba on a plane and had him in Pittsburgh by late afternoon.
“While I have been at home I have been working at the fish market, kicking, just doing my normal routine,” Sciba said after Sunday’s game. “It was just a part time.”
So, likely, is his NFL kicking gig. Boswell surely will regain his job when deemed healthy.
But that won’t erase that Sciba forever will have scored points in an NFL game. Though Sciba did have a gaffe in that one of his four kickoffs went out of bounds, that won’t change that it was an afternoon he’ll never forget and he can tell everyone about back at Saltwater Markets.
“I don’t think I was too nervous,” Sciba said. “I just wanted to go out there and do a good job today for the team.”
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