Alabama kicker Joseph Bulovas faced an unenviable task. Down three points in an electric 84th edition of the Iron Bowl, the redshirt sophomore lined up for a game-tying, 30-yard field goal with two minutes left. However, Bulovas' kick doinked the left upright and fell harmlessly to the turf. Auburn held on to win, 48-45, and the record-setting kicker became the scapegoat for salty Crimson Tide fans everywhere.
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Immediately after missing that field goal, the kid who made an Alabama football record 75 extra points last year, as well as converted 22-of-28 career field goal attempts before that Iron Bowl miss, was attacked and threatened on social media.
Joseph Bulovas' Twitter After Auburn Loss
WARNING: The following tweets contain offensive and NSFW language.
This small sampling is only part of the vile, hateful comments this kid was subjected to. Keep in mind that Bulovas didn't give up 48 points. Bulovas didn't throw two interceptions like Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, both of which were returned for touchdowns. He did, however, miss a crucial kick with everyone watching, which somehow made him responsible for an evening full of Crimson Tide shortcomings at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
After the dust settled, Bulovas felt the need to issue an apology to the Alabama fan base via his personal Twitter account.
Joseph Bulovas' Apology for Iron Bowl Miss
"After reflecting on the game, I just wanted to express my apologies to the entire Crimson Tide nation. Nobody was more disappointed than myself. Regardless of the circumstances, that is a kick I should make in my sleep and nobody is as big of a critic as I am of myself. To the fans, my coaches, and my teammates; I promise you will never see a guy work as hard as I will for the entirety of my career because I owe that to all of you. I refuse to let this be anything more than a bump in the road and I'm confident I will come back better because of it. I wear my emotions on my sleeve and this one was hard to take to say the least, but I have confidence in this team and in myself and that's what's motivating going forward. I have and will always give it everything i've got for this team which is something that will never change. God Bless and Roll Tide."
— Joseph Bulovas, via Twitter
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Head coach Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide won't be making the SEC Championship game. They're out of the College Football Playoff race. Last year's national championship flop now stings a little bit more. However, none of that is on Joseph Bulovas, no matter how much angry Alabama fans want to pin this year's disappointment on that young man.
Bulovas' miss was met with a lot of negativity, but the positives outweighed the haters by a wide margin. It goes to show how deep and grateful the Alabama football fan base is, and how much they care for a player, especially in their darkest times.
Tuscaloosa is full of fans who love their team unconditionally. Bulovas didn't need to apologize for his missed field goal, but it goes to show how devoted to the university and fan base he really is.
