Penn State’s 259-pound kicker becomes instant legend

This morning, there are few positive takeaways for a Penn State team still recovering from their first lost to Temple in 74 years. But certainly one high-point, which took social media by storm, was the debut of freshman kicker Joey Julius.

Dubbed "The Big Toe," the former soccer and track standout from Lower Dauphin doesn't look like your average, run-of-the-mill kicker. But the 5-foot-10, 259-pound kicker uses his unique size to power massive 50-yard kicks during tryouts, which helped him win the job as a walk on over junior Tyler Davis from St. Charles, Ill.

"Joey wasn't always this big. He played soccer at 190-195. And then when he stopped playing, he didn't quite put the effort into being as fit as he should've been and, obviously, lost his physique," his father, Harrisburg Heat indoor soccer player Larry Julius told PennLive.com back in April. "Now, he's working it back. But he's doing it more in the weight room. He's probably gained 15 pounds of muscle and just become a massive human being in the shoulders and arms."

As soon as Julius crushed his first and only field goal, giving Penn State their largest (and final) lead of the game, social media exploded with love for the hefty Nittany Lion.