Cody Parkey had a rough season in 2018 that ended on the worst note possible last week, but the Chicago Bears kicker seems to be handling the adversity better than you could expect him to.
Parkey made an appearance on the “TODAY” show Friday morning to discuss his infamous kick in the NFC Wild Card game, which would have resulted in a win over the Philadelphia Eagles but instead hit the left upright, bounced off the cross bar and out. The 26-year-old opened up about some of the emotions he experienced before and after the 43-yard attempt.
“As a kicker, you live for those moments – I had a lot of confidence going into that kick…I’m disappointed.” @ChicagoBears kicker @CParkey36 on last Sunday night’s field goal that would’ve sent his team to the next playoff round pic.twitter.com/SEV87eKgs7
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 11, 2019
We know how cruel fans can be on social media when athletes make mistakes that cost their team a game, and Parkey was certainly no exception there. However, he says he has been able to avoid going on Twitter or Instagram.
“I haven’t been on social media or anything like that.” –@ChicagoBears kicker @CParkey36 pic.twitter.com/x8TIgsf1Xo
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 11, 2019
Parkey had to have felt a little better when video evidence showed that his kick was tipped, but unfortunately many fans did not give him the benefit of the doubt. He missed several extra points and field goals during the regular season, and a handful of them hit the upright just like his kick against the Eagles. Whether right or wrong, fans always expect kickers to deliver in big moments. Parkey wasn’t able to do that, but he deserves credit for the way he has handled the backlash.
