Dicker the Kicker! Cameron Dicker scores 2 big field goals in his Eagles debut
"I didn't necessarily expect it to come down to a kick like that, but I was calm and I was confident going out there."
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Philadelphia Eagles got past the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday thanks to head coach Nick Sirianni, quarterback Jalen Hurts and a new arrival - nicknamed Dicker the Kicker.
The player whose full name is Cameron Dicker filled the spot left vacant by an injured Jake Elliot. He stepped in and hit two pivotal field goals to propel the Birds to their first 5-0 start since the 2004 season.
He made his first career field goal in the third quarter, a 42-yarder.
Then, with just 1:45 remaining in the fourth quarter, Dicker kicked a 23-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 20-17 lead, which ended up being the final score.
Dicker was signed to the Eagles practice squad last week after playing at the University of Texas.
Days later, he was elevated to play in Sunday's game.
His move to the Eagles' roster came on the fourth anniversary of what was arguably the biggest play of his college career. During the 2018 Red River Showdown, a game between Texas and Oklahoma, the freshman kicked a 40-yard field goal to give the Longhorns a 48-45 lead with just seconds to go in the fourth quarter.
This gave him "Red River immortality."
Dicker decided to forgo his extra year of eligibility and declare for the NFL Draft.
"Saying goodbye to Texas is a decision that has been difficult and is one that I would not choose if I wasn't confident that God is ready to use me in this next chapter," Dicker said in January.
Dicker went undrafted. He was then signed by the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens before coming to Philadelphia.
Coach Sirianni had faith in Dicker going into the game.
"He was kicking and we put him through a couple different things that tested and showed that for us. I know there's a big game this weekend between Oklahoma and Texas, and I know he made a big-time kick in that game and that's one of the bigger games obviously in college football So, yeah, we were comfortable with that. If he's got to play, we're confident in him," Sirianni said during a press conference Friday.
Dicker had some momentum on his side as Texas defeated Oklahoma 49-0 in Saturday's rivalry game.
Dicker the Kicker came through for his new team. Sirianni said the Birds had embraced the 22-year-old kicker leading up to his first NFL game.
"Either teams throughout the year are going to come together or they're going to go apart, there's really no in between, right? And this team is continuing to come together because they love each other," Sirianni said. "Like what's happened with Cam. They put their arms around him and welcomed him. He made a big play when we needed it. That's what's special about this team. We just got to keep it going."
Dicker walked away a hero on Sunday, but that didn't change his calm, confident demeanor in his postgame interviews.
"It's an incredible feeling. I just stayed calm all week and did my job. I was never really nervous. But to be in this situation, yeah, it's incredible," Dicker said.
Along with his two field goals, Dicker also earned the team two extra points in the first quarter.
It was a different story on the other side of the field. The Cardinals' replacement kicker, Matt Ammendola, missed a 43-yard field goal which would have sent the game into overtime.
Dicker the Kicker, who said he got the name from his seventh-grade science teacher Mr. Gonzalez, is the University of Texas all-time field goals leader. But he didn't know his first NFL game would come down to him.
"I didn't necessarily expect it to come down to a kick like that, but I was calm and I was confident going out there. I didn't want to be around anyone before the kick so I was by myself, just focusing on making good contact and doing what I know how to do. I hit it well and it went through," Dicker said.
He also wasn't expecting Eagles fans to show up in numbers at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, more than 2,000 miles away from Lincoln Financial Field in South Philadelphia.
The rookie who was born in Hong Kong, has lived in Shanghai and Taiwan, and is more of a soccer fan, is starting to get to know what Philly is all about.
"That was wild. I didn't realize how well they travel, they were telling me and I didn't think it'd be that well. It was pretty cool. Makes life a lot easier when half the stadium's Eagles fans," Dicker said.
