Alabama’s run of kickers during the Nick Saban era has included some relatively simple names.
Adam Griffith was the Crimson Tide’s starter the past three seasons, and before him were Cade Foster and Jeremy Shelley.
Andy Pappanastos, a graduate transfer from Montgomery, knows he’s a bit different in that area. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder who started his college career at Ole Miss owns a last name that is challenging to fit on a football jersey, and it’s one that has been shortened to “Papa Nasty” on occasion.
“I’ve had a couple of nicknames everywhere I’ve been and have heard a lot of them,” Pappanastos said after last week’s 41-23 victory over Colorado State. “A lot of coaches have called me that, because it’s easier than my last name. It is a lot of letters.”
Pappanastos (pronounced Pap-uh-NASS-tus) heads into Saturday afternoon’s game at Vanderbilt with a lot of letters and a lot of momentum. He’s 7-of-9 on field-goal attempts this season, having made five in a row. Both of his misses were in the 24-7 season-opening win over Florida State inside Atlanta’s $1.6 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium.