
Eddy Piñeiro is riding the crest of a wave since joining the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 this season.
Since replacing Jake Moody as the starting kicker, he has made 87.5% of his extra point attempts and 100% of his field goals, with the latter tied for the best percentage in the NFL.
Piñeiro's impact since joining the organization speaks volumes. The job may seem simple in theory, but his impressive accuracy has played a significant role in the 49ers' 4-2 record.
The 30-year-old opened up to reporters about how he handles pressure in high-stakes moments, drawing from his father’s soccer career.
"My dad was a professional soccer player," Piñeiro said. "My goal was to be better than him, and that never happened. But thank God this worked out for me, and I'm able to support my family doing it."
"My dad, like I said, he was a professional soccer player. He's missed penalty kicks, he's made penalty kicks, and he's helped his team win. He's been the reason why they've lost. And my dad's just really helped me through this whole process."
Piñeiro opened up about how performing in front of his parents motivates him to be at his best.
He explained that it provides added pressure, but it is obviously working effectively, as he has not missed a single field goal in red and gold.
"I wanted to do really good in front of my mom and dad," Piñeiro said on 95.7 The Game.
"I feel like sometimes I'm still a little kid. Like, I want to perform good in front of my mom and dad. I want them to be proud of me. So, having them there, I felt a little extra pressure because I'm like, 'No, I need to do well.' They haven't seen me in over a month. I want to do good for my mom. I want to do good for my dad. It felt good to have a good performance, even though we lost.
"They were super happy, of course," Piñeiro said. "They deserve the world, and this is why I do it. I do it for them, and if it's up to me, I'll live under a bridge. I'm okay. As long as they're living good, that's all that matters."
This mentality explains why he's so successful in his position. What a good person.
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