Coming out of high school, Chase Contreraz wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to do in college.
A five-sport athlete, his decision was made after he nailed a 54-yard field goal in his final football game at Missouri Valley.
“Maybe I'll give this kicking thing a shot,” Contreraz, a 2018 graduate, remembers thinking.
Deciding to walk on at Iowa Western Community College, the Big Reds standout had the hope of putting up good numbers so he could play for his dream school: Nebraska.
That plan panned out, as he earned a spot on the NJCAA All-American second-team while going 15-of-18 on field goals and 44-of-46 on extra points. His season-long measured 47 yards.
The next year, Contreraz was on the Huskers' roster as a preferred walk-on. Not seeing any action during the 2020 season, he was able to start Nebraska's final four games of 2021 at placekicker, going 2-of-4 on field goals and a perfect 11-of-11 on extra points.
But in 2022 he was back to the bench.
“After it didn't really pan out my way at Nebraska, there was a moment where I was questioning whether or not this was the thing for me,” Contreraz said. “That left my mind really quickly, and I realized I just had to dial back in and get to work.”
Putting his name in the transfer portal last January, Contreraz began looking for opportunities to get his name out there at different kicking camps. Attending a camp in Dallas, Contreraz won it and gained the attention of extra eyes.
Two of those eyes belonged to Jordan Langs, who is currently in his first year as special teams coordinator at Iowa State. Setting up a visit in Ames, Contreraz immediately took a liking to the culture and group of guys in place at Iowa State, particularly in the specialist room.
Visiting Northern Illinois and hearing from a few other schools, Contreraz realized none of the other programs provided the right fit. After going back to Iowa State for the spring game, he knew Matt Campbell's team was where he wanted to be.
“I grew up a Husker fan, and going to games there growing up, it wasn't too far from home,” Contreraz said. “If I could be anywhere else, this is where I wanted to be. I went to one Iowa State game as a kid, and it just happened to be one of the best games in Iowa State history when they played Oklahoma State in 2011.”
That proximity to home throughout his college career has made a world of difference for the Cyclone senior. Starting out in Council Bluffs before heading to Lincoln, then eventually Ames, Contreraz has never been more than a couple hours away from Missouri Valley.
His family has been able to attend every game, and Contreraz said he feels the love from people back home.
Contreraz's parents, Victor and Theresa, and girlfriend of seven years, Lydia Rankin, have provided him with a support system that has been there in moments of doubt and moments of triumph.
Remembering his parents paying for all of his kicking camps and his dad shagging balls for him growing up, Contreraz also mentioned the ability he's had to go back home and reconnect with some of the coaches who have made an impact on him.
“I try not to be that one college guy that comes back and everyone is like, 'What's this guy doing here?' But maybe once or twice a year, I come back to say hi and see how everybody's doing,” Contreraz said. “It's nice to know everyone's rooting for me, and I miss those guys sometimes.”
Now approaching the final game of his career, Contreraz has several accolades to his name. He's earned Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week awards twice this season, an Honorable Mention All-Big 12 spot and was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza award, which goes to the best kicker in the country. You still won't find him getting caught up in the moment, though.
“It feels good to be recognized for accomplishments, but as a kicker I try to have a very short-term memory,” he said. “It allows me to keep moving forward.”
Going 19-of-24 on field goals for Iowa State this season (with a career high 56-yarder coming in the season opener against UNI), as well as 34-of-35 on PATs, Contreraz believes finding consistencies off the field in recovery and taking care of his body has helped him to perform better on the field.
Earning his bachelor's degree last year, Contreraz also noted how he doesn't have any additional stress due to academics.
With just a couple days left before the Liberty Bowl, which will serve as a repeat of Iowa State's 2017 meeting against the Memphis Tigers, the Missouri Valley product shared how he has been in the process of finding an agent since the end of the regular season.
“After the bowl game, I'm going to start doing some training and working my way towards playing in the NFL,” he said.
But first, he'll look to help Iowa State win its third bowl game of Campbell's tenure.
With some time to reflect between the end of first semester and kickoff against the Tigers, Contreraz thought about how far he's come.
“It's been quite the journey,” he said. “I feel like you couldn't script something like this.”
Contreraz and the Cyclones face Memphis on Friday, Dec. 29. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN.
