Practice is just about over, and members of the MSU football team start gathering together. Instead of circling around MSU head coach John L. Smith to listen to what he has to say, they form a semicircle around one teammate and start yelling at him.

Why is this player being bombarded with insults and affronts from his own teammates?

Because he is the team's place-kicker, and his teammates are actually trying to help him, simulating a real game situation, trying to break the intense focus that only a kicker can muster.

"I really try not to think about it," junior kicker John Goss said. "You're trying to get in the game situation, trying to get me ready for the game situation with the crowd noises. We do it in practice. I'm kind of used to it by now."

In Saturday's scrimmage, Goss received some special attention as well from Smith, who stood quite close to Goss and shared some thoughts with him.

"He used special words I can't repeat right now," Goss said of what Smith was telling him. "He's doing it just to try and get me better and get me mentally tough."

Smith said he will do whatever it takes to distract Goss.

"I'll call him names, I'll talk about his girlfriend, I'll talk about anything I can to try and make him listen to what the coach is saying," Smith said. "I try to get him to think about something other than kicking.

"I try to get his mind off of it. I try to see how his concentration is."

Smith said it's important Goss is focused and removes everything from his head, as kickers often are faced with high-pressure situations.

"Shut out everything except the snap, the hold and the swing," Smith said.

Although Goss only hit 1-of-4 field goals - at 41 yards - in the scrimmage on Saturday, Smith said Goss has been taking significant steps during spring practice.

"He gets better every day," Smith said. "He's doing pretty good, showing a lot of improvement."

Goss - who played high school football for only four games his senior year before heading to Scottsdale Community College in Arizona - has some big shoes to fill by replacing Dave Rayner, MSU's all-time leader in scoring, field goals and extra points. Goss also is the Spartans' backup punter.

But Goss isn't worried about it.

"I try not to put pressure on myself," the Grove City, Ohio, native said. "I just do the best I can every day, and things take care of themselves."

Goss usually kicks three to four times a week, with Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday being his main kicking days, when he kicks anywhere between 35-50 balls a day. He said kicking too much can give him a bad technique.

A former soccer player, Goss was asked by the coach of his high school football team if he had ever kicked a football.

"I said, 'No sir, but I can give it a try,'" Goss said.

And try he did, averaging 42.4 yards per punt in his four games with the team. He also handled the kickoff duties for his team.

At Scottsdale Community College, Goss was ranked No. 2 in the NJCAA in punting as a sophomore and had a career-best 57-yard field goal in 2003.

And Smith said that although he is still fresh to kicking at a Division I level, Goss is working hard to improve.

"He is a guy who comes to the field every day, and every kick is an important kick to him," Smith said. "And if it is that way than you will get better."