Unfortunately, there’s sad news coming out of Tulane involving one of the top kickers at the FBS level.
At his weekly press conference Tuesday, Green Wave head coach Curtis Johnson confirmed that the father of Cairo Santos died two days ago in a plane crash. The kicker’s father, Cairo Santos Sr., was a former airline pilot who performed stunts at air shows across Brazil. He was killed performing a stunt.
The younger Santos is back in his home country of Brazil attending his father’s funeral, which is today. His availability for Saturday’s game against Syracuse is unknown.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with him,” the coach said. “If he is at the game, he is at the game. If he isn’t, he isn’t.”
In 2012, Santos was named the Lou Groza Award winner and was a consensus All-American. He’s made 82 percent of his 57 field goal attempts the past three-plus seasons, including a career-long 57-yarder last season.
He made all 21 field goal attempts in 2012 and has made 25 straight the past two seasons, the second-longest such streak in FBS history. The NCAA record at this level is 30 in a row by Washington’s Chuck Nelson in 1981-82.
If Santos is unable to play against the Orange, Steven Broccoli would assume the Green Wave’s place-kicking duties.
Our thoughts and condolences go out to Santos and his entire family for their loss.
(Photo credit: Tulane athletics)
