Kicker Harrison Mevis played almost 10 quarters for the Rams before attempting a field goal. But, when he finally lined up to kick it, the nerves never came. He wasn't thinking, he was just kicking.
Mevis knocked the 40-yard field goal straight through the uprights to give the Rams a 31-7 halftime lead over the Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football. When he jogged back to the sideline, props and pats from players and coaches rained down on him.
"Just trusting the work that I put in," Mevis said. "(You) do all the hard work in practice and then once you get in a game, everything's easy."
Mevis has made all 13 extra points he's attempted and hit his first two career field goal tries on Sunday. He did acknowledge that it felt "good to pop the cherry," but wasn't particularly emotional after the accomplishment. That calm yet focused demeanor has led to success throughout his kicking career.
In the third quarter of his first prime time game last Sunday, Mevis made a 52-yard field goal, and that too sailed straight through the middle of the uprights. Even on longer field goals like that one, his motion stays the same as it would for a point after try. "That's my mindset is every kick's the same and just trusting the guys, the operation," Mevis said.
When asked if that emotional regulation has stood out to head coach Sean McVay, he smiled wryly and said, "that's a good way to put it, the opposite of me, huh?" to general laughter from the media. But he agreed with the sentiment that Mevis' steady approach has served him well.
Mevis has faced plenty of stressful situations before, the best-known being his 61-yard game winner for Missouri against Kansas State in 2023, and has a good track record in those moments.
"He's been a cool customer, just comes in and goes to work, and I think he feels very grateful," McVay said. "You can see, there's probably a healthy perspective that allows him to realize this is a blessing, it's never a burden. And I've been really pleased with what he's done."
After coming into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2024, Mevis spent time on the Panthers' practice squad last season before going 21 of 23 for the UFL's Birmingham Stallions during the summer. Both misses came from 50-plus yards. Ahead of the 2025 NFL season, Mevis was signed to the Jets' 90-man offseason roster, but didn't make the final 53.
During his extended absences from competitive play, Mevis kicked two-to-three times a week, and was actually on his way to a field when he found out the Rams were signing him to their practice squad ahead of Week 10. During the NFL season, he always prepared as if he was going to play on Sunday, until one week, he actually did. After the call, he went home and packed his bags for the airport instead, then won the Rams' starting job in less than a week.
At Missouri, Mevis' large frame for a kicker (5-foot-11, 245 pounds) led fans to dub him "The Thiccer Kicker." Mevis has embraced the nickname, as has nearly every teammate he's played with since it went viral on social media.
"I like it," Mevis said. "When you look at it from a team's perspective, everyone around is like, 'Damn, that guy has a nickname? He must be a dude.' So it instills confidence in everyone around me that I'm gonna go out and do my job and make the kick, so I've always thought of it as a positive, and it's also fun."
Mevis' fourth career NFL game will be against the first team to give him a shot in the league, the Carolina Panthers. But that won't hold any extra weight for him. In fact, he sees it as an advantage.
"I've kicked in that stadium before, I know what it's like, so it's definitely not a new environment for me, and I'll be as confident as ever to go help this team win," Mevis said.
