ATLANTA (December 14, 2023) - Prior to the 2023 football season, few people knew who Aaron Bickerton (Stoke-on-Trent, England) was, playing the previous season as a true freshman, but was relegated to limited field goal attempts and kickoffs. That season, he missed six attempts as a place kicker.

With all the publicity surrounding the Cricket Celebration Bowl Saturday (Dec. 16) in Atlanta and the two teams' top-ranked defenses and offenses, there has been little conversation on the kicking game and the important part that it plays in games of this caliber.

In what might be one of the biggest turnarounds for a player this season, Bickerton has proved to be a valuable commodity, who has played a huge and significant role in the team's journey to this moment.

Howard Head Coach Larry Scott talks about the three phases of the game--defense, offense and special teams. One of his goals when he took over the program was to improve the kicking game with a strong emphasis on flipping the field.

Bickerton has fulfilled that goal and then some. The England native averaged over 41 yards per punt with an impressive 10 of 50 yards or more and the same number landing inside the opponents 20-yard line.

Equally important was in the area of field goals where he was a perfect 8-for-8. For his efforts, he was named to the All-MEAC First Team.

Growing up, Bickerton played soccer or "real football" as he calls it. With a number of recruiters now looking to Europe for soccer players with strong legs, Bickerton was courted as a preferred walk-on by some of the military academies and the University of Wyoming. While mulling over those offers, Bickerton says that there was never a question on where he was going.

"I was approached by Howard and there was no doubt that it would be my choice," said Bickerton in an English accent. "My mum was an alumnus, so I thought that it would be the best choice for me."

All was well and good with that decision until he got to preseason practice.

"Playing football (soccer) in high school, we never participated in such rigorous conditioning and structure," explains Bickerton, a sport management major. "I remember the first day feeling really sore after some of the workouts and then realizing that we were just beginning. I asked my teammates if this was normal and they assured me that it was. It was a huge eye opener for me."

Bickerton admits that it was all new to him, the whole concept of kicking and punting and he failed miserably in his debut.

"I was terrible," he explains. "What else can I say? I felt that I let the team down."

Meanwhile, Bickerton had developed a strong relationship with former teammate Phillip Richard, the punter and place kicker from last season. Richard averaged 38 yards a punt that included seven for 50 yards or more.

"Phillip Richard took me under his wing and served as a mentor," says Bickerton. "He had been through some of the things that I was facing and was there to help me during those times. He helped me in my matriculation of college football."

Richard, who now serves on the staff as the kicking coach and works directly with Bickerton.

"Because there was a strong connection between Australian and English culture, we formed a bond, " says Richard, working on his graduate degree in social work. "We were able to connect.  We talked about the technical side of punting with an emphasis on consistency in technique and on the place kicking, we worked on the mental part  of staying focused and not letting a miss affect how you approach."

In addition to the tutelage from Richard, Bickerton set out on a personal mission to improve through strength and hard individual workouts that focused on consistency.

"I just pushed myself to be more consistent," he intimates. "I sat down with the coaches at the end of the season and set goals for myself. I wanted to contribute more to the team than before."

Reflecting on the past two seasons and the upcoming Celebration Bowl experience, Bickerton says, "This is something I had never expected. I am happy for the team and the coaches who worked hard for this. I will not change anything. I am going to go out and do the things that I have done consistently all season."