A&M kicker Josh Lambo hopes to play a second professional sport

Josh Lambo is a pro’s pro. Having already tried his hand at Major League Soccer, the Texas A&M product now is trying his foot at the NFL.

Lambo earned a job as the U.S. youth international goalkeeper and parlayed that into being selected eighth overall by FC Dallas in the 2008 MLS Super Draft.

Lambo signed a three-year contract with FC Dallas, and the club picked up a fourth-year option before waiving him in 2011. That had Lambo reassessing his future.

His mother suggested he give field-goal kicking a try. Lambo first met with kicking coach Taylor Mehlhaff before sending a video to several schools seeking a chance.

A&M answered.

“The only football experience I ever had was when I was 10, and I actually won the Punt, Pass & Kick national championship,” Lambo said. “That’s the only football I ever did before college.”

Lambo walked on at A&M and backed up Taylor Bertolet until Bertolet became erratic at extra points early in the 2013 season. Lambo took over during the SMU game that season and has been the Aggies’ kicker since.

“Being a goalie, when I was playing soccer, you have one chance to make a save,” Lambo said. “If not, then the whole team is punished. You’re down a goal. With field-goal kicking, I have one chance to make a kick. I don’t have three downs to try and get a first down or score a touchdown. So I have one shot. I have to be one-for-one every single time.

“My preparation with soccer, and my experience with soccer, has really kind of allowed me to have that mentality as well as the mentality of having a short-term memory. The most important kick is the next kick just like the most important save was the next save. Whatever happened prior, whether it was a make or a miss, it’s not going to affect my next opportunity to make a field goal.”

Lambo finished his career 21 of 25, scoring 172 points, but he has no experience kicking off.

“That’s the big asterisk next to my name,” Lambo said.

The Aggies sent Randy Bullock to the NFL, as a fifth-round pick of the Houston Texans in 2012. He won the job in Houston in 2013. Lambo hopes to follow in Bullock’s steps, though Lambo isn’t likely to be drafted.

“It would be a huge blessing [to play two sports professionally] and be a very, very cool thing to put up on my résumé and potentially join a pretty elite list of players and great athletes,” Lambo said.

This story was originally published April 21, 2015 at 9:00 PM with the headline "A&M kicker Josh Lambo hopes to play a second professional sport."