Jaffer Murphy is a senior kicker on the Lake Erie football team. He arrived on campus this fall as a transfer from Florida Gulf Coast University....where he played soccer. This season he has rewritten the record books by recording the longest field goal in school and G-MAC history. His 60-yarder during last week's win against Kentucky Wesleyan put him in a three-way tie for the longest-made field goal this season out of all NCAA DII kickers and ties him for the second-longest throughout all NCAA divisions. Because of all his accomplishments this season, he has twice been named the G-MAC Special Teams Athlete of the Week and the Lake Erie Male Athlete of the Week.

Murphy, a native of Liberia, West Africa, who grew up in Marion, Iowa, sat down with us this week to talk about his unique journey and what led him to Lake Erie College.


Q: Tell us about your football journey and how you got to where you're at now.

Murphy: For sure. It's actually funny. My football journey started my junior year of high school. I was asked to join the football team as a kicker but my parents at first didn't want me to join because they were afraid I was going to get hurt or get an injury and take away from my collegiate soccer career in the future. So once I explained to them that I was only going to be the kicker and really, you know, not getting tackled, they were like, "Oh, for sure, go and join then," and so from there on, I mean junior and senior year is the only years I played, I had fun doing it, but I really didn't take it too seriously because I was so focused on playing top-level soccer.


Q: So what was the point where you decided to switch away from soccer to football, and what was that like?

Murphy: So that experience for me was at the end of my sophomore season at Florida Gulf Coast University. I had the end-of-the-year player meeting with my coaches, and that season we had played wasn't the best for our team as a whole, so I kind of called my mom and said to her, "Hey, I don't really know what to do. I didn't feel too good about this season," different things like that and she called me and said "Hey it's okay, sweetheart. I know you played your hardest. You did what you could, but do you wanna do something crazy?" and I asked her "What do you mean?" and she goes "Do you want to play football?" and I was at first kind of confused. I was like, "I'm a soccer player. I've played soccer all my life. That's all I really know. I only did football for fun back in high school," but I said, "You know what? Honestly, let's go for it. Let's see where this takes me," and so from there on I got into contact with different coaches, different training coaches and just put my best foot through the door and said, "Hey, let's go do this football thing."

 

Q: What was your first interaction with a Lake Erie coach then and how'd you end up here?
Murphy: My first interaction with a Lake Erie coach was John Tsironis. He reached out to me via Twitter, and we kind of connected, and he spoke to me about Lake Erie and what it has to offer and the different coaches that had just joined because we had got a whole new coaching staff and what he was telling me and what he was saying to me really interested me and really made me want to be a part of a culture that was evolving, changing and striving for success and so I verbally committed on the phone and said "Yeah, let's go. Let's go do this."


Q: What has been your fondest memory at LEC so far?

Murphy: My fondest memory, I think it was fall camp about five days in, they lined me up for a field goal, and I think that was my kind of welcome-to-collegiate football moment where the whole team was around me trying to distract me, yelling at me this and that and whatnot, and I just lined up, got tunnel-vision focus and just kicked the field goal and it went through and that field goal actually saved everyone from doing conditioning that day. So I really love that and felt like, "You know what? I can help this team out as much as possible."


Q: What are some of the differences between soccer and football that you enjoy? 

Murphy: I think the biggest difference for me is the amount of interaction time with the ball, whereas in soccer, I'm always moving and always active, trying to get open to find a pass or make a run in behind to try and go score as a striker when I played, versus now as a football player you have to be 100% anytime they send you out there. No matter what, you have one chance and one chance only. Either you're going to make this field goal, or you're not going to. So I think that challenge is something that I definitely prepared and trained for over the summer with my training coach Jacob Enns from Tampa, Florida. But you know all the days working hard with him, with myself, it's really prepared me for moments like this.


Q: What's the farthest you ever kicked a field goal in high school then?

Murphy: Furthest kick in high school was my senior year on senior day, actually. I kicked a 55-yard field goal.

 

Q: How was it like growing up in Iowa then?

Murphy: Growing up in Iowa was definitely new for me. I mean, I call it home. Yes, I've been many different places, but I do call that home. A lot of cornfields, a lot of land, a lot of farmland, but I think it's definitely a place that has helped shape and mold me into the man that I am today.


Q: So, as an Iowan, what is your favorite variation of corn?

Murphy: That's a great question, honestly. My favorite version of corn would be sweet corn but I actually haven't had that in years. So yeah, no, it would be sweet corn there.


Q: How would you say your coaches and teammates describe Jaffer Murphy?

Murphy: As far as coaches, I would say they would describe me as a hard-working, goal-driven individual who is not only eager to learn more about football but also eager to be a part of a changing culture, striving for that success that I spoke about. As far as my teammates, I would go and say they describe me as an enthusiastic, encouraging player inside and outside of football and definitely just really team-driven.


Q: Who was your childhood idol, and why?

Murphy: My childhood idols...I have a couple of them as far as different sports, honestly. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, for soccer, obviously when I was a soccer player. I saw they were also my age at one point, driven to play professionally, and so I had put that in my head, "Hey, you know what, if they can do it, then why can't I?" And then you move on to different sports like Michael Jordan and LeBron James for basketball, you know, again, same thing, they were once a kid who had a goal to play professionally, and so then I thought, "You know what, why can't I?"

 

Q: Besides maybe your parents, who would you say is your biggest inspiration, personally?

Murphy: My biggest inspiration would be everybody who made it to the top level or is the best of the best. Their hard work that you see in those highlight videos, or their hard work behind closed doors, different things of that sort, it just inspires me to be like, "Hey, if I really put my head down and really stay focused, I can shoot for the goal of playing professionally one day, just as they did too as well."


Q: So, would you see yourself playing professionally in 10 years? Is that where you want to see yourself?

Murphy: In 10 years from now, I definitely want to see myself playing professionally in the league, in the NFL.


Q: What would your favorite pro football team be then?

Murphy: My favorite pro football team, soccer at heart, would probably be Manchester United or Manchester City. I really do like watching those teams and how they play soccer. So, my favorite teams would be them. American football, favorite team, I'm going with the Tampa Bay Bucs because I have connections. My cousin actually dates one of their players. So, we have a family member who is involved with the NFL.
 

Q: What's the best advice you've ever received, and who was it from?

Murphy: I think the best advice I've received from someone would be my mom. She shared a Bible verse with me about this whole journey and the path that I've been on. It's 1 Peter 5:6 - Humble yourself, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, and in due time he will lift you up - and I take that verse very personally as I want to stay humble with everything that's been blessed upon my life as far as soccer, as far as a shift to football. I think a lot of the success does come from God, and as I speak about the football team, a lot of that success does come from Danny (Jamieson) and Thomas (Finch), my long snapper. Without those guys, honestly, I'm not able to even do my job, so if they do their job, I can do my job. Big shout out to them for sure.


Q: So you've kicked a 53, 55, and a 60-yard field goal this season. Is there a ceiling? How far do you think you could actually kick one if given the opportunity?

Murphy: Given the opportunity, I know this past summer training with Coach Enns in Florida, my longest field goal was a 71. So, given the opportunity in a game, I think I could kick a 70-yard field goal.


Q: Do you think Coach Price will ever give you the green light for that one day?

Murphy: Honest answer, no. But, you know, you never know. So, I just got to be ready when that moment comes up.


Q: What do you like to do outside of your sport and school?

Murphy: Outside of sport and school, I actually love playing the piano and singing. So one thing for me is during COVID, it was a really boring time, and I didn't know kind of what to do with my time, so I just kind of picked the piano back up and said, "You know, I'm gonna teach myself these songs." And ever since then, I've kind of loved doing that and so that's what I like to do outside of school and football.


Q: Favorite pre-game meal?

Murphy: I love a good shrimp alfredo pasta the day before/the day of. But honestly, I wouldn't have a favorite. I'm grateful for whatever is provided right before the game. I'm ready to go.


Q: What type of music do you enjoy listening to the most? Do you have a favorite artist or band?

Murphy: I love listening to R&B music. I think that's really peaceful. I also love jazz and classical music as I, you know, associate that with the piano. I do love that peaceful vibe that it brings. Funny enough, my favorite artist would be Adele. I just love the way she sings, and her voice is really beautiful. But yeah, that's my favorite artist.