He was arguably the most highly touted player in Northwestern's 2006 recruiting class. He could be a three-way starter for the Wildcats in the fall.
He also happens to be a kicker.
Redshirt freshman Stefan Demos will have a chance to remedy all three facets of the kicking game - punting, kickoffs and placekicking. During his senior year in high school, Demos converted 13-of-16 field goal attempts, with a long of 51 yards, and averaged 45 yards per punt.
He was ranked in the top 10 nationally among placekickers coming out of high school by most scouting services.
But the spring has not gone as smoothly for the redshirt freshman.
Demos pulled his hip flexor while working out with his kicking coach, Chris Sailer, in California over Spring Break. Things got worse when Demos came down with strep throat upon returning to campus.
"He's dealing with a lot of adversity right now," coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "His attitude is good, and his mechanics will come back. ... He's not even close to being 100 percent."
Despite the kicker's spring struggles, most NU followers expect the kicking game to be much improved with Demos toeing the ball.
The Cats made 8 of 12 field goals last year, with a long of 43 yards. NU's 66.7 field-goal percentage was its best mark since 2000, when Tim Long made 13-of-17 field goal attempts.
Cats kickers have made 52 percent of their field goals in the last six seasons.
A steady kicking game would take pressure off junior quarterback C.J. Bachér and the offense.
"If you get inside the 30 and you have a great kicker, it's three points. It's automatic," Bachér said. "It really helps out the offense. ... When drives end we need a good kicker who can put it through the uprights."
Whether former kicker Joel Howells was that kind of kicker is up to debate.
While Bachér said the team had full confidence in Howells, fans often turned on the kicker, who hit a low point in the 2005 Sun Bowl when he missed three kicks and had two onside kicks returned for touchdowns in a loss to UCLA.
Demos said he was at times frustrated sitting on the bench behind Howells while redshirting in 2006, but the freshman was happy to learn from the experienced senior.
"Joel was a really good mentor to me," Demos said. "I was fortunate enough to room with him for the first couple of away games. ... I know he's had a tough time in his career, but he bounced back, and I think he had a pretty good year, too. I learned a lot from him."
Howells and Demos still talk every other day, and even when they don't, Howells' wisdom stays with Demos in the form of a book: "Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence."
The book was a gift from Howells and focuses on the psychological aspects of sport, which are particularly important to a kicker.
Whether it's because of Howells' mentorship or Demos' psychological makeup, Fitzgerald has no reason to worry about his kicker's mental game. He said he has been happy with Demos' attitude even during the trying spring.
Demos is also the kind of kicker who craves pressure situations, which is part of the reason he prefers field-goal kicking to punting.
Still, Demos said he would be perfectly happy doing both.
"Come game day, if I'm doing one, two, three or none, that's up to coach," Demos said of his potential kicking duties.
"I'll be ready for the season going in for all three."
Reach Wade Askew at wadeaskew@northwestern.edu.
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