There are a lot of things you wouldn't believe about Northern Arizona kicker Matt Myers.

One thing would be that Myers is the Lumberjacks' leading scorer through eight games this season. Another is that he's not a complete head-case, like a lot of people think kickers are.

Something else is that Myers has a secret of his own.

Every time he prepares to kick a field goal or extra point -- regardless of whether it's in practice or during a game -- everyone knows that Myers looks up to the sky twice in his pre-kick routine.

What people don't know, and aren't going to find out just yet, is why.

"Why do I look up?" Myers said when asked about the ritual. "That stays between me and my dad. I wouldn't say it's a family secret, but my dad and I keep those kinds of things between us. It's something people can keep wondering about."

Something no one has to wonder about is how well Myers can kick the ball. Myers is the Jacks' leading scorer -- he's even in front of sophomore running back and this past week's National Running Back of the Week Zach Bauman -- with 57 points. Myers has made 11 of 17 field goals and 24 of 25 point-after tries.

Yet he didn't even know he led NAU in scoring until he was told.

"Stats are for looking at after the season," Myers said. "I honestly didn't know that. I really don't focus on stats right now. My main focus is winning games."

During last Saturday's 27-26 win over Sacramento State -- during which Myers had nine points on a pair of field goals and three PATs -- the Lumberjacks showed just how much of an impact the kicking game can have in a game's outcome.

It wasn't just Myers' nine points, but also two that NAU's defense took away from Sac State by blocking a pair of PATs that paid off huge for the Jacks.

Myers said he knows what he does can help make or break a game.

"In one of the games we've lost, we had a field goal blocked against Portland State, and I think I was 3-for-4 that game," Myers said. "It's unfortunate, but there's no one to blame for that situation."

Myers added he knows just how big a part he plays as someone who's not in the game for more than a few quick moments.

"I missed two field goals against Eastern (Washington) that could have set up a winning field goal at the end, but against Montana we had a field goal that put us ahead with three and a half minutes to go," Myers said. "Then against Sac State I had nine points that just so happened to make the difference."

And it's not just Myers, but what he calls his "well-oiled machine," that gets the job done.

"Andy Saldana and Ben Bachelier have been great. Ben is a great snapper and Andy has stepped up and does a great job holding," Myers said.

"Every time we step into a game situation I'm confident, and those guys make my job a whole lot easier," Myers added.

The trio has been together for four years, and Myers said they're really tight.

Because they practice together -- mainly on their own with no position coach's direct supervision -- the field goal unit has had to learn each other's tendencies to excel.

"It's part of the game and being ready on the sidelines," Myers said. "We coach each other and we coach ourselves. Being together for the last four years, we've learned each other's techniques."

NAU head coach Jerome Souers said Myers, Bachelier and Saldana aren't treated any differently than the rest of the players on the team.

"They work hard," he said. "They do the same weight workout the rest of the team does, they stay out here and practice the whole time and you can always tell when they do it right and when they do it wrong.

"The kid's mentally tough and you have t-o be to be a kicker," Souers said about Myers. "They don't have a position coach, I'm in charge of that, and they come out here and work on their own to develop their technique."

Something that Myers said Souers does help a lot with is working on eliminating a lot of the pressure a kicker can experience during a game. Unlike other players, Myers never knows for sure when he'll be called upon to enter the game, and it can be difficult to handle.

"Matt continues to perform well, and it's hard being a kicker," Souers said. "It's a position that can be streaky: Sometimes you get a lot of shots and sometimes you don't get any, and you've got to be ready all the time."

As an example, Myers didn't get into the Montana game until there were just under four minutes left to play in the fourth quarter. After spending the better part of his time on the sidelines, Myers went in and kicked a 40-yard field goal that gave the Jacks a chance to win.

"Coach Souers fully mentally and physically prepared me for that and I felt confident going in there," Myers said. "I love those situations, it doesn't get any better than that."

Souers and Myers have been coach and kicker for four years, and Myers said the two don't need to have a lot of words pass between them during a decision-making situation.

"Once we cross the 50-yard line I start warming up," Myers said. "If it's fourth-and-long we'll go for it and if it's fourth-and-short we'll look at our options. I don't have to say anything, he knows and he sees me kick in pre-game."

Even despite their relationship, Myers hasn't told Souers the reason behind why he looks to the sky twice before each kick.

He said he might think about revealing his look-to-the-sky secret after the season, but for now you'll just have to wonder.

Bill Harris can be reached at bharris@azdailysun.com or 556-2251.