How did Evan McPherson get his 'Shooter McPherson' nickname? Thank Clark Harris and 'Happy Gilmore' for that

So, where exactly did Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson get the nickname "Shooter?"

If you ask him, the name apparently came from Bengals long snapper Clark Harris.

"That's actually something that just came up (in January)," McPherson said last year. "Kevin (Huber) was telling me that as we were leaving the stadium. He's like, 'Clark came up with a new nickname for you.' And was like 'Really, what is it?' And he was like 'Shooter McPherson instead of Shooter McGavin.' And I was like 'Ah, that's pretty funny.' We just talked about it, and I kind of came up with 'Kickoff for show and field goals for dough' instead of 'drive for show and putt for dough.' Kickoffs are for show and field goals are where you make your money, where you get your dough."

In January 2022, Harris tweeted that he preferred the nickname "Shooter McPherson," a reference to the "Happy Gilmore" villainous character Shooter McGavin, over a different nickname, "Money Mac."

McPherson said he had seen "Happy Gilmore" before, so he "kind of" got the reference.

And from there, it started to catch on. While watching the Bengals vs. Tennessee Titans game last January, sports analyst and radio host Pat McAfee posted a video on Twitter of McPherson's field goal with a reference to his new, now more well-known nickname.

The Bengals themselves have acknowledged McPherson's "Shooter" nickname, posting a picture of him on Instagram and asking fans which nickname they prefer.

Which moniker do you like best?

This story was originally published in January 2022.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Here's how Evan McPherson got the 'Shooter McPherson' nickname