GREEN BAY – A few days ago, Lucas Havrisik was flying around the country for NFL tryouts and considering whether to pick up a part-time substitute teaching job to help pass time.
On Sunday, the 26-year-old kicker was drilling field goals and extra points for the Packers in front of 78,277 at Lambeau Field after Brandon McManus suffered a quad injury on Wednesday.
Such is life for an NFL specialist.
Signed on Saturday after a successful workout, Havrisik woke up Sunday morning unsure whether he'd even kick in Green Bay's Week 6 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.
It turned out to be a solid insurance policy. With the Packers choosing to sit McManus after a pregame workout, Havrisik stepped up and made all five of his kicks (two field goals, three extra points) to aid the Packers' 27-18 victory over the Bengals.
None of his kicks was more important than a 39-yarder with 1 minute, 52 seconds left in regulation to give Green Bay a two-score cushion that helped seal the Packers' third win of the year.
"They told me obviously the situation, that I might be up," Havrisik said. "I just treated it as a normal game day. It was a long day in the hotel waiting. It was weird. But I'm glad it all worked out."
Havrisik has bounced around a bit since signing with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He played in nine games for the Los Angeles Rams in 2023, even kicking at Lambeau Field in his second NFL game.
Waived before the playoffs, Havrisik had stints with the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills and the UFL's Arlington Renegades over the past two years. More recently, he worked out for the New York Giants and Colts but went unsigned.
Havrisik was thinking about picking up another job before receiving the impromptu call from the Packers.
"Before the New York workout I was trying to get a part-time job just because it's super boring to not work, so boring," Havrisik said. "I've done substitute teaching in the past and coaching. I moved to Cleveland recently, and I was like, I've got to get outside, do something. I can't sit down all day. Very happy to be here and play some football."
That opportunity came about after McManus sustained a quad injury while warming up for field goals on Wednesday.
The 12th-year veteran expressed confidence in his ability to play while addressing reporters Thursday. While the pain was tolerable in a pregame workout, the Packers erred on the side of caution.
"They thought they just wanted to play it smart and safe," said McManus, who's been Green Bay's kicker since last October. "There was some pain after I kicked, then it'd go away. They were hoping that there'd be no pain, and no one would have known until I kicked. So, we just thought it'd be better to do the long term."
As street free agents go, Havrisik actually had some familiarity with Packers punter/holder Daniel Whelan and long snapper Matt Orzech, both of whom he met while working out with specialist coach Dan Orner and former NFL kicker John Carney.
Havrisik's ties to Orzech extend off the field, too, as his older brother, Peter, attended college with Green Bay's long snapper at Azusa-Pacific. "They used to play Super Smash Bros in the hall," according to Havrisik.
Both native Californians, Havrisik's mom and Orzech's dad also worked together at City National Bank for a time.
"It's one of those weird connections. The NFL, tiny world," Orzech said. "We've worked together in the offseason, he's worked with Danny before in California, so I think the general sense of familiarity really helps because we've done this before together, so it's same old, same old."
Havrisik looked poised and confident in McManus' stead while battling challenging wind conditions inside Lambeau Field. In addition to handling kickoffs, Havrisik made a 43-yard field goal in the second quarter to put Green Bay on the board.
After making three extra points, Havrisik not only earned a game ball for nailing a 39-yarder in crunch time but also the respect of his new teammates.
"I don't even know his name, I feel bad saying that," said running back Josh Jacobs. "But he came in and made some big-time kicks for us. So, man, he got the game ball. He deserved it."
Havrisik said he's a "little fried, mentally" after a whirlwind week that started in Indianapolis, but he's grateful for the opportunity Green Bay gave him to kick in the NFL again.
While the Packers determine a plan for McManus, Havrisik continues to live in the moment in hopes of once again securing a kicking job in the NFL.
"Just staying ready," Havrisik said. "It's hard to get in with only 32 jobs. Just try to stay ready and do my thing."
