Where Are They Now? Jerry Spicer

If everyone has 15 minutes of fame, then Jerry Spicer has had more than 36 years of it.

Though he downplays his accomplishment and said he doesn't think about it, the former Hobart quarterback and kicker made it into the Indiana High School Athletic Association's record book on Halloween night in 1975.

Spicer, who owns Sonoran Property Inspections LLC in Scottsdale, Ariz., has not been back to the region in 30 years. He kicked what was believed to be a national high school record 61-yard field goal in a game at Valparaiso. It was the longest in Indiana high school history and it still stands as it was tied by Seymour's Bryan Robertson in 1999.

What brought additional acclaim was an appearance in the Dec. 1, 1975 Sports Illustrated "Faces in the Crowd."

"Hey, records are made to be broken and I figured someone would eventually break it," Spicer said. "That was cool being in Sports Illustrated, and back then I think the longest ever was Tom Dempsey, the Saints kicker. He kicked a 63-yarder (against Detroit in 1970). So it was an accomplishment."

Spicer said a lot of elements made the long kick possible.

"I got the credit, but what about my linemen, the snapper, the holder and the team which put us in that position?" Spicer said. "For me to make that kick, everyone had to do their job. Football is a team game, and that was what we were taught at Hobart."

It was a windy night with a playoff berth on the line. Back then, only eight teams per class made the postseason, with just three classes. Hobart and Valparaiso, coached by Hall of Fame coaches Don Howell and Tom Stokes, respectively, were in Class AAA, the largest class.

Valparaiso won 24-23 in overtime and went on to win the Class AAA title. Both of Hobart's 1975 losses were in overtime. The Brickies also lost to Andrean at Gilroy Stadium in overtime.

Spicer, who was the Duneland Conference scoring champ and second team all-state, played three years of football at Indiana, then moved to Colorado and began a career in home building and construction. He also was an Indiana North All-Stat. Spicer married his high school sweetheart, Pam, and the couple moved to Arizona in the late 1980s as he worked for two custom home builders the next 20 years.

Sonoran Property Inspections, LLC was started in 2008 after Spicer had worked for a North Scottsdale custom home builder for about 10 years and was laid off due to the economy.

"Pam and I sat down and tried to come up with something that would be able to use my 30-plus years of experience and doing home inspections was a perfect fit.," Spicer said. "I went to school, passed several state exams and became licensed by the Arizona Board of Technical Registration.

"I started marketing myself and my company online and to the local real estate professionals."

He has also become a certified infrared thermographer, making commercial and residential infrared inspections.