Exeter >> His right foot has taken him to some extraordinary places.
Whether it be through the blistering cold of a Pennsylvania fall night under the lights or a dusty afternoon game in the desert, former Texas A&M placekicker Taylor Bertolet used his foot to take both he and his teams to new heights throughout his football career.
And last Friday night, Jan. 29, Bertolet was inducted into Exeter Township’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
“This is such an honor,” said Bertolet, a 2011 graduate of Exeter. “I was so honored when he (Exeter athletic director Tom Legath) called me to let me know about all of this. I was completely blown away.”
During his time with the Eagles, Bertolet ended his senior season as an All-State First Team placekicker and was also ranked the No. 1 high school kicker in the nation by rivals.com. He was named to the Pennsylvania Big 33 Team, was selected as an Under-Armour All-American and was also an All-Academic selection. He was elected as captain of both the football and the baseball teams.
To this day, Bertolet still holds the school record for the longest field goal made, a 48-yarder against Pottsville during his senior season. The kick not only helped Exeter seal the 34-17 win, but also sent Bertolet past his brother, Matt, in the school’s all-time record books.
That kick served as a tribute to the work the two brothers put in over the years.
“That was definitely the best moment of my high school career,” Taylor said of his kick, two yards further than his brother’s. “I owe pretty much everything that I’ve done to him (Matt). I wouldn’t be anywhere without him. He’s the reason I started to play football and the reason I fell in love with this game.”
As Bertolet grew over the years, so did his love of the game.
He joined Texas A&M the same season it joined the Southeastern Conference, recording the program’s first points in the league. He is one of only two Aggies to score more than 100 points in a season, including 106 during his freshman season. During that time, Bertolet led the nation with five field goals of 50-plus yards, including one from 55 yards out.
He recorded 185 touchbacks in his career with A&M and was named All-SEC Second Team as a senior and was selected to play in the East-West Shrine Game.
“There are a lot of things that I’ve accomplished outside of Exeter, but coming back here and being honored this way – it means a lot to me and my family.”
Over the span of his collegiate career, he connected on 66 perfect of his field goal attempts and racked up 245 career points. He also hit eight field goals of 50 or more yards over that time.
“I’m thankful for the time that I got to spend here and at A&M,” he said. “Both schools have felt like home to me and helped me to develop who I am today.”
Bertolet, who studied psychology with a minor in communications, was a four-time member of the SEC All-Academic Team. Now he is pursuing a Masters in sports management.
