Miami kicker Jose Borregales goes undrafted, but signs with Super Bowl champs Tampa Bay
Former Miami Hurricanes placekicker Jose Borregales, a consensus All-American and winner of the Lou Groza Award as the top kicker in college football, “stopped looking” at NFL Draft projections of where and when and even if he’d be chosen in the draft — or just end up as most kickers do, an undrafted free agent.
But Borregales isn’t most kickers, and be assured his biggest fan, mom Vivian, was looking.
“My mom tells me everything,’’ Borregales said heading into the draft. “If my mom doesn’t tell me, I have no idea. I’ve basically talked to every team but you never know where you end up until you get that call.”
Borregales, 23, undrafted after the seven-round event ended Saturday evening, will nonetheless be heading to the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.
“Excited to announce I’ve signed with the #Bucs !! !! Let’s get to work!!’’ Borregales posted on Twitter.
Fellow Florida Gators kicker Evan McPherson was fortunate enough to be drafted 149th overall in the fifth round Saturday, two spots below UM tight end Brevin Jordan.
Borregales transferred to the Hurricanes from FIU before the 2020 season, and became the first Hurricane to be named an AP first-team All-American since cornerback Antrel Rolle earned the honor in 2004.
At UM, Borregales was 20 of 22 in field goals, including his school-record-tying 57-yarder at Louisville, and all 37 of his extra points for 97 total points.
“When it comes to the draft you’ve got to keep low expectations because we are specialists,’’ Borregales, who grew up in Doral, told reporters during a Zoom video conference on UM Pro Day. “We are always taken at the back end of every draft. But we are the ones they count on the most when it comes to game time.’’
Vivian Borregales was a pharmacist in her home country of Venezuela, and now is a pharmacist technician. Jose’s father Enrique works for a private airport company aiding various airlines.
He said he concentrated on his kickoffs after the season ended, and told WQAM in late April that he had been working on making his “money balls” between the 30 and 40-yard lines. At UM he made all 11 of his field goals under 40 yards.
Before he came to Miami, Borregales’ magnificent kicking proved the dagger in FIU’s 30-24 victory over UM on Nov. 23, 2019. He hit a 29-yard field goal in the opening quarter, a 50-yard field goal with two seconds left in the first half and his own school-record tying 53-yarder in the third quarter. He also kicked three extra points.
Borregales has good reason to follow the Hurricanes for years to come. His younger brother Andres, considered the top prep kicker in the nation by Kornblue Kicking, enrolled early in January and will be UM’s 2021 kicker as a true freshman. The brothers also have four sisters.
“I have high expectations for Andres because I know what it took for him to get to this point,’’ Jose said. “I can’t wait for him to start his career.’’
Now, the elder brother will begin his own next journey.
This story was originally published May 1, 2021 at 8:06 PM.
