By Glen Miller/Staff writer

SAN JOSE, Calif. – It’s a field goal attempt that local television stations won’t let A.J. Haglund forget, but the former El Reno High School kicker is downplaying its importance heading into Sunday’s Arena Bowl XXII.

On April 12, Haglund lined up for a long field goal. However, it was no ordinary kick, as the defending Arena Bowl Champion SaberCats were trailing the red-hot and undefeated Philadelphia Soul by a point with time ticking down.

“I think it was week seven and we were going through a rough time and were 3-3 on the season,” Haglund said. “We jumped out on them early and took a 33-7 lead, but then let them come back. They ended up scoring a touchdown and 2-point conversion with 10 seconds to play to take the lead.”

The SaberCats then called on Haglund to steal the win with the field goal.

“I had a 48-yarder that I struck well but it hit the right upright,” Haglund said.

While the miss came as time expired, dropping San Jose below .500 for the only time during the 2008 season, it also ended a string of 12 straight field goals for Haglund.

“I had hit 12 in a row that had tied the AFL record. I was going for the record so I was sort of bummed out after I missed it, because it was for the game and it was my first miss of the season,” Haglund said. “But 48 yards is really long in this league, especially with a 15-foot crossbar. I went out there expecting to make it, just like I do all my kicks.”

Fast forward to late July and what has turned out to be the dream matchup for AFL officials. Its premiere event features the defending champions looking for a fourth title. The SaberCats’ opponent - a team Haglund calls the “poster boys” of the AFL, the Philadelphia Soul.

“ESPN and the AFL have really spotlighted Philly as the poster boys of the league. (Jon) Bon Jovi is their owner and Ron Jaworski is the general manager. They are always on television and we are placed on the back burner even though we are the defending champions.”
Haglund said local television stations have replayed the clip of his miss during the first meeting, but he says the media attention does not bother him.

“Not really. They have showed the kick a couple of times on television, but that was week seven and a lot of things have happened since then. You can dwell on it or bounce back and I think I have bounced back. I have made more kicks than I have missed and as long as I make the important ones, I feel that I’m doing my job.”
Haglund admits the miss against the Soul bothered him, but only for a short period.

“I was down that I didn’t make it and it bothered me for about a week, but after that I accepted it and moved on and made sure I didn’t miss any more that were important,” Haglund said.
So does the miss enter his mind at all anymore?

“No. I think it would have haunted me more if it had been a shorter field,” Haglund said.

The numbers bear the truth as Haglund missed only three more field goal attempts the rest of the season, one of those being blocked. A week after the miss against Philadelphia, Haglund nailed a 47-yarder against Utah. His misses came from 28, 44 and 48 yards.

“That short one was probably the only one I really felt like I should have made,” Haglund said. “The others are still pretty long ones in this league.”

Haglund admits he would like to have another shot at the Soul under the same conditions as the miss back in April.

“I’d really like it to be a 20-point blowout. But it’s every kicker’s dream to be on the biggest stage in your league and have the opportunity to win the game. If you are a kicker and you don’t want that pressure on you, you should not be kicking,” Haglund said.

Haglund feels the SaberCats have the ability and the talent to jump out on the Soul as they did in the first meeting.

“We have won 10 of our last 11 games and we are hot at the right time,” Haglund said. “The defense is playing well and the offense put up 80 points in the conference championship game. If we can put all phases of the game together, there is no one that can beat us.”

Haglund is just the third AFL Kicker of the Year award winner to go on to play in the Arena Bowl, following Brian Gowins of Grand Rapids (2000) and Detroit’s Novo Jovic (1990).

“There have been only 11 guys to have won the award,” Haglund said. “Individual awards are great, but getting that ring is what you play the game for. I would trade that Kicker of the Year award any day for a championship.”