Jaden Oberkrom ’15 broke Big 12 records as a kicker for the Horned Frog football team. One of his favorite memories was the 2014 field goal he hit as the clock ran out to secure a 31-30 win over West Virginia. Oberkrom graduated with a degree in psychology and earned a trip to the NFL Combine.

But he surprised friends and fans when he walked away from a professional contract with the Cleveland Browns. With his heart dedicated to college football, he wanted to start his own business doing what he felt called to do — coaching up-and-coming kickers.

Jaden Oberkrom started Oberkrom Kicking in 2016. It now has five locations in North Texas and one in Oklahoma City. Courtesy of TCU Athletics | Photo Keith Robinson

He launched Oberkrom Kicking in 2016 in a muddy grass field. While the first six months were tough, wife Havyn Rogers ’16 supported his fledgling business.

Oberkrom Kicking, with students from fourth grade to college age, now has five locations in North Texas and one in Oklahoma City. In addition to small-group kicking instruction and summer camps, he also offers instruction in punting and snapping.

Among Oberkrom’s former students is TCU senior kicker Griffin Kell. Other students have gone on to play for Baylor, Texas and Georgia Tech. Oberkrom said he gets more nervous watching them on TV than he ever did when he was kicking for the Frogs.

“It’s really cool to do something that you love and that has an impact on people as well as get paid for it,” he said. “It’s kind of like a win-win-win.”