Ryan Meskell was raised in Australia, competed in rugby and soccer, and worked as a landscaper, lifeguard and barista.
One of the things 23-year-old Meskell has not done is play in a football game. That makes Meskell an improbable contender for the starting kicker’s job for the University of Hawaii football team.
But Meskell, who was awarded a football scholarship this week, is in the thick of the competition. Alex Trifonovitch, a Punahou School graduate who was signed as a punter in 2015, and Michael Boyle, a freshman from Camas (Wash.) High, are the other kickers on the Rainbow Warriors’ training-camp roster.
Head coach Nick Rolovich acknowledged this was a wide and unique search for the successor to Rigo Sanchez, who signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent.
“You can’t be everywhere,” Rolovich said. “We have to be creative. We are in a very unique, obviously, geographical area.”
The UH coaches learned that a soccer-trained player from Australia’s Gold Coast was interested in joining the Warriors as a walk-on. The Warriors’ contacts in Australian supported Meskell’s skill level. The Warriors then invited Meskell to join as a preferred walk-on.
“The thing that makes you decide we can do this is he’s got a professional attitude,” said special teams coordinator Mayur Chaudhari, referring to Meskell’s ascension in rugby and soccer. “He’s been able to go to rugby and to soccer, and he always rises to the top, which means he knows how to work and how to be coached.”
Two years ago, Meskell went to Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, Ill., where he redshirted his first year and then played goalkeeper the following season. After earning an associate degree, Meskell had options to continue playing soccer in the United States. But a friend advised Meskell to consider playing football. Meskell worked with a kicking coach in Australia, then trained at Prokick Australia, a Melbourne-based program that developed former Warriors Alex Dunnachie and Scott Harding.
Meskell said he did not have to drastically alter his approach or technique in kicking an oblong-shaped ball. “The first time I kicked one, I got put through an easy test,” Meskell said. “It was only like a 25-yarder. From there, I moved back farther and farther.”
He said he is consistent from up to 45 yards, but has the range for deeper kicks. “It’s still a work in progress for me,” Meskell said.
“He’s been working with a great crew down in Australia for a bunch of months to get ready for this,” Rolovich said. “We knew he had a strong leg. We knew we needed help with our kickoffs, for sure, because Rigo was really good at what he did. Ryan comes in with a strong leg. If he can do just (kickoffs), he’s worth it.”
Chaudhari said: “The leg is the leg. You want to look for coachability. He does a great job of communicating. He asks questions. He trusts me to coach him and I trust him to be coached.”
Meskell shares an apartment with Australian teammates Stan Gaudion and Max Hendrie. He said they have been helpful in offering tips on Hawaii, although he has not had a chance to explore the island. “I haven’t had time,” Meskell said. “I’m waking up at 4:30 every morning and being here (at UH) until 8:30 (at night).”