Colorado kicker Alejandro Mata follows Deion Sanders to an opportunity of a lifetime

One of the most underappreciated dimensions of the Deion Sanders experience at Colorado has been the journey of Alejandro Mata, its 20-year-old junior place-kicker. Mata followed Coach Prime from Jackson State to the University of Colorado, but that was only part of his story.

His journey to Boulder, Colorado, came via Jackson, Mississippi, and San Pedro Sula, Honduras, where he was born. His father was the head manager for an international firm, and there were more stops along the way: Mexico, Brazil and finally to Buford, Georgia, where his family moved when he was 16.

Of all the adjustments, the adjustment from high school in Georgia to historically Black college culture in Mississippi was the most challenging.

“It was definitely more drastic going from Buford to Jackson,” Mata said by phone Wednesday after practice. “I didn’t have any expectations, really. I didn’t know what to expect. And just getting there and seeing the type of culture that Jackson State had was amazing.”

But whether it was at Jackson State or now at Colorado, Mata became a fan favorite wherever he went. He credits his ability to fit into his multiple moves when he was young.

“Being born in Honduras, growing up in Mexico and Brazil, and then moving to South Georgia, and then after a couple of years down there I moved to North Georgia,” Mata said. “So doing all that moving really helped me adapt to different cultures. Moving from an HBCU to Boulder, obviously it was a complete culture shock, but it was nothing I haven’t seen before. So that made it easy.”

What has brought him to Boulder is college football. Mata came to the United States in 2016 but did not begin playing football until eighth grade when his phys ed teacher saw him blasting soccer balls out of the playground. He became the kicker on his Buford High School team and helped the team win two state championships in his final two years.

At 5-feet-9, 190 pounds, Mata was not recruited, so he and his father visited schools and performed workouts. There was one taker: Sanders at Jackson State. Mata eagerly accepted the scholarship offer though never in his wildest dreams did he think he would be kicking in front of 40,000 college football fans.

“So, originally when I first started playing football, I really didn’t see myself going big,” Mata said. “I really thought I was going to be like a soccer player my whole life, and then just work like a regular 9-to-5 after. But football definitely expanded my views on what’s achievable out there.”

Last year, Colorado got off to a fantastic start to the season. They began the season by upsetting 17th-ranked TCU. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw for a school-record 510 yards with four touchdowns — the game-winner a 46-yard catch-and-run by true freshman Dylan Edwards. Colorado pulled off a 45-42 win.

Colorado won just three more games the rest of the season and finished with a dismal 4-8 record.

Things have been a bit more sober this season. Colorado is currently 2-1 and begins its Big 12 schedule Saturday against Baylor.

This year, Mata said, the greatest change in the team has been its mindset.

“Definitely the mentality,” he said. “Last year, I feel like we got a little bit too comfortable with a couple wins, and this year we want to go for it all.”

The highlight of Mata’s season last year came against Arizona State when he kicked a 43-yard field goal with 12 seconds left that lifted Colorado to a 27-24 victory. But when I asked Mata to name the greatest moment thus far in his college experience, the kick against Arizona State finished second.

He went back to Jackson State.

“Many people might think that it is my game-winning kick against Arizona State last season,” he said. “But, to be honest, I think my first field goal — that Hard Rock Stadium, first year, freshman year against FAMU, a 34-yarder — just felt amazing. Especially knowing that that’s how I kicked off my collegiate career.”

There are so many dimensions to the Mata story. One is the role HBCUs play in providing opportunity, being launching pads to bigger and better things.

Although he has been at Colorado for going on two seasons, the HBCU experience at Jackson State is emblazoned in his heart. Whether it’s homecoming, Greek life or the atmosphere, HBCU culture cannot easily be duplicated.

“I talk about it with my friends all the time,” he said. “How the culture and the fans over there, they’re just different. Like homecoming week, or the Greek life over there, it was just a party every day, pretty much. Or at least it felt like it.”

Next month, Mata plans to return to Jackson State. “Luckily this season, our bye week happens to be on Jackson State’s homecoming week. So, I’m planning on flying out there for the game.”

Of course, one of the trade-offs of attending Colorado is that he is now playing on a large stage in a Power 5 conference with a history of turning out pro athletes. He is closer than he ever could have imagined to achieving what may once have seemed like the impossible goal of playing pro football.

“It feels great knowing that I can create generational wealth, not just for me, but for future generations and my family and my parents, because that’s pretty much the only reason I do this,” Mata said. “My dad worked too hard for me not to succeed, and I want to be able to retire him whenever I get drafted or into the NFL.”

To do that, Mata knows he has to improve. He is often described as a “line drive” or “low trajectory” field goal kicker. He feels comfortable kicking field goals between 53 and 54 yards, though his longest field goal this year has been 27 yards.

As a sophomore he made 10 of 12 field goal attempts — his misses were from beyond 40 yards. His farthest make of the season was from 47 yards. “I definitely need to increase my distance. That’s my main thing right now. I know I have the accuracy to go to the next level, but if I really want to guarantee a spot up there, I definitely have to increase my range a couple yards.”

How? “Getting in shape, obviously getting stronger, getting more flexible, having more confidence in myself from distance, as well. I know I can hit a 55, no problem. I just got to tell myself that I can.”

The big picture is that Mata has been able to kick his way through college on a football scholarship.

Very few players in big-time college football or the NFL have had an African American coach. Mata is fortunate to have a coach like Sanders who played in the MLB and had a Hall of Fame career in the NFL. Sanders looks at college football through the prism of business and he encourages his players to look beyond the field and the immediacy of being college football players.

“The special thing about him is that not only is he a football coach, but I also feel like he’s great at coaching us in life,” Mata said. “He does a great job of preparing us for a life after football, just in case some of us don’t make it. And I think that’s where it separates him from other coaches.”

There was a significant Latino population in Buford, a small one in Jackson and now in Colorado there is once again a significant Latino population. “Especially around Pueblo and Aurora, it is just great having my type of people around,” Mata said.

Asked how he identifies, Mata said, “I just say Hispanic, to be honest, because since I grew up in many places, I really don’t know what to say, considering where I’m from. So, I just say Hispanic.”

I asked Mata how he felt about the burning immigration issue, knowing that as an athlete representing the university, he had to walk a very fine line. He was diplomatic.

“Obviously I see the points on both sides of the story, but for the most part I try to stay out of politics,” he said. “I’m just not trying to make anyone angry over something that I dislike or something that I like.”

Mata’s family still lives in Buford. His oldest sister is going into her junior year of high school, his youngest sister just started middle school. Mata may not be a national celebrity like Colorado teammates Shedeur Sanders or Travis Hunter, but he is a legend at Buford High School. “My sister always tells me about how the new freshmen go up to her and ask her if she’s my little sister or are we related,” he said. “The new teacher that she has on the schedule that taught me always asks her if we’re related.”

Life is good and will be even better if Mata can help Sanders duplicate at Colorado the success he enjoyed at Jackson State, where he went 27-6 in three seasons and won two Southwestern Athletic Conference championships.

“Right now, we’re just worried about Baylor,” Mata said. “But if we’re talking about the large scheme of things, we’re thinking competing for a Big 12 championship. We want to compete for the national championship, make a playoff run as a team.”

His individual goals: “I definitely want to make every opportunity count for me, whether that’s a field goal or a PAT and I want to be able to make it all.”

Mata has certainly made the most of an opportunity on this journey of a lifetime.