STANFORD, Calif. — Few place kickers in the country can generate the swarm of attention that Stanford's Joshua Karty did on Thursday. The Cardinal hosted its annual Pro Timing Day, with Karty as the headliner, and he impressed in front of several NFL scouts and media.
Around 20 NFL teams were represented Thursday on Stanford's campus to see Karty kick. He participated in a unique Pro Day that saw him kick field goals and kickoffs. As those around the game have come to expect, he was on the mark all afternoon long.
"I was overall satisfied with how I did. I met my basic standard of performance," Karty said during his media availability. "I could have done a little bit better, but I made some big kicks and I'm happy with how the field goals and kickoffs went in the end."
Karty went 11-13 on field goals, including a perfect 3-3 on field goals over 60 yards. He made field goals from 60 and 63 yards before hitting one right down the middle from 66 yards to conclude his round.
Can your kicker hit 66-yard field goals straight down the middle?#GoStanford | @JoshuaKarty pic.twitter.com/ZUgM2EEhXv
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) March 21, 2024
"I wanted to show how big of a ball I hit and how flawless my technique is; how effortless my form looks," explained Karty. "I think I was able to accomplish that with the 60-yarders at the end and the kickoffs. I hit a lot of balls over the net with the wind too. That's something that a lot of other Pro Days don't have to factor in because they indoor facilities. There was a nice little crosswind, so I was able to show how my ball flies in that."
Arguably the best kicker in the country, Karty wrapped up a stellar Cardinal career in 2023 by going 23-27 on field goals, the most field goals made in a single season at Stanford. In 2022, Karty did not miss a field goal, and drilled a 61-yarder during Big Game, the longest field goal in Stanford history. For his career, he owns the Stanford program record for career field goal percentage at 85.0%.
Karty shined the longer the distance on kicks. Over his last two seasons at Stanford, he went 17-17 on field goals between 40-49 yards, and 7-10 on field goals over 50 yards. In his final game inside Stanford Stadium, he made a 56-yard field goal, the second longest in stadium history.
"The best thing I've heard is how nice my technique looks," said Karty about what he has heard from scouts around the league. "I'm not swinging very hard compared to some of the other guys. I think they like that I'm a big-legged kicker."
The Burlington, North Carolina native racked up numerous awards over the course of his career, including two-time All Pac-12 First Team honors, and First Team All-America honors from Sporting News (2022) and The Athletic (2023). Karty was also a finalist for the 2022 Lou Groza Award, given to the best kicker in the country, and was a semifinalist in 2023.
There are several teams in the NFL that could use a kicker like Karty, meaning it is difficult to predict where he will end up. As for a potential location that he would prefer, Karty wants to go somewhere where he will have a chance.
"I would love to kick anywhere, wherever the coaches and the team are the right fit. Someone who values me as a person and a player."
Karty is attempting to become the first Stanford kicker drafted since Ken Naber was selected by the New England Patriots in the eighth round of the 1981 NFL Draft. This year's draft takes place on April 25-27 in Detroit, Michigan.