After earning All-America recognition and winning the 2024 Fred Mitchell Award as the best kicker among over 750 non-FBS colleges, Gabe Panikowski from Idaho State finally has been able to rejoice.

Happiness, you see, was not always part of his young life.

When he was just 7 years old, Panikowski and three of his siblings were adopted following several troubling years of abuse and neglect.

“Yeah, so, you know, it was hard. It was really hard,” Panikowski told me after receiving the word that he had won our award. “My birth mom, she was just going through a lot of stuff and became a little bit addicted to some things. And she just wasn’t in a position to necessarily take care of us. So Child Services came in and we all got removed from her custody and went to different families. So, it wasn’t easy.

“A lot of abuse, physically, verbally and emotionally. But with those things, I am very appreciative that it happened because I’m able to help my friends or help really anybody who is either going through that situation or who has life questions or anything like that…like I’m able to kind of guide them in a way that I’m able to help them. And so, they’re not in such a dark place.”

Panikowski became only the fourth underclassman to win the Fred Mitchell Award after connecting on 15 of 15 field goals, including kicks from 55 and 51 yards. Part of the criteria for winning the award is community service. Perhaps his most impactful and passionate community activity is advocating for those seeking adoption.

“I find it really cool if I’m like some type of light in their life, at least to just, you know, carry them throughout the day,” Panikowski said.

“Because us as humans, we really need to take advantage and kind of just sit back and look at everything and look around the room and look at the people that we’ve made connections with and just really value everything. I mean, that’s what it’s all about. So I’m just really appreciative of everything.”

To be sure, Kris and Stan Panikowski have been a major factor in Gabe’s life.

“My family now, Kris and Stan, my mom and dad, they took us all in together. And I mean, that’s… I haven’t heard many people do that,” Gabe said. “So, they’ve saved my life truly. And I’m forever grateful for them. And I hope that I could be half of the man that they want me to be. And just have a full and accomplished life for them.”

Panikowski is off to a promising start. After Idaho State’s season ended, he entered the transfer portal where he received several scholarship offers. He chose to join Oklahoma State with hopes of gaining increased exposure and notoriety for his final year of eligibility so he can pursue his dream to become an NFL kicker.

“I simply believe that I need to compete in the next level,” he said. “I want to go; I love competition. I want to go against the guys who have a big leg and who are all the talk of the show and whatnot. And I believe in my ability to be the best out there. I’m pretty confident with myself and I just… I want to prove people wrong. I just want to go out there and do it.”

Panikowki expressed extreme gratitude for his former coaches and teammates at Idaho State, including long snapper Scotty Atkinson and holder Hunter Hays.

“I think because of that… that’s the main reason why I had the success that I did because who you surround yourself with, especially on a day-to-day basis,” he said. “You know, it’s your mood and your thought process on everything that defines how your season goes. So it’s because these guys are just so upbeat, they’re super fun. They’re not only fun, but they’re very competitive and they’re very driven. It motivated me more to do my part and to make sure that I do it to the best of my ability.”

Panikowski led the nation in field goal percentage (100%) and boomed two-thirds of his kickoffs for touchbacks. He also kicked a walk-off field goal to beat Cal Poly for head coach Cody Hawkins.

“That being said, Dan Hawkins came in, which is Cody’s dad. He came in and he was kind of helping out with his special teams and stuff. He was phenomenal. I mean, he’s probably the best special teams coach I’ve ever had in my life. He’s also a really upbeat guy, super funny, knows what he’s talking about. We would have a lot of game-like situations for field goals in practice, which really, really helped me,” Panikowski said.

After running track as a sprinter, playing soccer and basketball and competing in fencing as well as football at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, Panikowski served as the kickoff specialist at Sacramento State in 2022 and kicked for Riverside City College in 2023 before joining Idaho State. He had received invaluable training from former NFL kicker John Carney while in San Diego.

“Football and kicking are not only about kicking, but you know, meeting a bunch of people,” said Panikowski. “And I think the really cool thing that I learned recently was kicking is not something that you do for yourself, but you do for the people that you love. And when you kind of think of it that way, I mean, you are just so much happier and you just love the sport and the competition rather than putting all that pressure on yourself. That’s one of the really cool things I learned this year at Idaho State, at least about kicking and myself.”

Panikowski will receive the Fred Mitchell Award trophy during the annual National Football Foundation Chicago Chapter ceremony on Feb. 17 at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill., where the Chicago Bears train.

Panikowski led the nation in field goal percentage (100%) and boomed two-thirds of his kickoffs for touchbacks.