When it comes to picture-perfect place-kicking, Indiana’s kicker Nicolas Radicic’s name cannot be ignored. The redshirt sophomore is as close to automatic as any kicker in college football, missing only one field goal throughout this season. Learn about the highly talented Hoosiers’ kicker and his family background as Nico prepares for Indiana’s national championship game.

Who are Nico Radicic’s parents?

Tomislav Radicic and Vesna Radicic are the father and mother of Nico. They also have a daughter named AnaMarija, who’s a swimmer. They currently reside in Coppell, Texas, where his father, Tomislav, landed a job. It is unknown what his mother’s occupation is, as there’s no credible information available on her professional career.

What ethnicity are Nico Radicic’s parents?

Nico Radicic’s parents are Croat Americans, with their family roots in Croatia. Nico was born in California and spent his first three years in the United States before they went back to Croatia, feeling the tug of home. He grew up playing soccer during his childhood and adapted to American football during his eighth grade year, after his family returned to the U.S. in 2016.

His mother, Vesna, believes that the decision to move from Croatia to America in 2016 stems from greater opportunity and a more hopeful future for him and his sister, AnaMarija Radicic. 

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“Opportunities in the [United States] versus opportunities in Croatia are not even comparable,” Nicolas’s mother, Vesna Radicic, said. “Croatia is a beautiful country but very politically damaged, economically damaged, and corrupt.”

For Nicolas, transitioning from Croatia to Coppell was not much of a struggle due to his frequent trips to the United States while living in Croatia.

“Nicolas is a happy, happy fellow,” Mrs. Radicic said. “He will find the good in anything. He loves people and adores soccer. Nicolas is the type of kid who goes into a room and comes in front of everybody and says, ‘Hey, guys, I’m Nicolas. I want to play. Who wants to play?”

Nico Radicic’s relationship with his parents

Nico maintains a close relationship with his parents. Their father and mother made the best decision to return to the United States for their children’s future, which made them the people they are today. 

“We knew that was not the place for [AnaMarija and Nicolas] to build their future. We, as parents, wanted to give them the most we can,” Nico’s mom, Vesna, said. On the other hand, his father, Tomislav, supports his daughter at her swim meet, waving the enormous red, white, and blue Croatian flag.

The move to Texas helped Radicic learn American football with his friends during the seventh grade. The switch from soccer to placekicker came naturally after that pick-off.

“Playing with the older guys, I’m learning more things through them,” Nicolas said. “Playing with others my age, I never saw how much more I could improve and would be fine with where I was. But on the [Coppell] team, some of the guys are better than me, and I want to prove myself to the coach. It makes me want to work harder, play harder.” 

“I finally went out to a football field, and I kicked like a 45 [yard field] in seventh grade—it was some lower 40s,” Radicic recalled after practice Friday. “[My friends] were like, ‘You need to play football.’ I signed up for it in eighth grade, and from there it took off.”

His high success at Coppell High School earned him a five-star grade and ranked him the No. 3 kicker nationally, and he is now leading Indiana to the national championship game.