I always felt that we would win or lose about four to six games a year with the kicking game. The site navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. Jan Stenerud 25 yard field goal : 19: 22: Game Info. Subscribe to. I always felt if I had two bad games in a row, I would be unemployed. Jan Stenerud, Kansas City Chiefs -- 1971 Before the AFC divisional playoff matchup between the Chiefs and Miami Dolphins on Christmas Day became the longest game in NFL history, Stenerud had a chance to end it in regulation. Late in his sophomore year, Stenerud was spotted kicking a football by the college's basketball coach, who relayed the news of the Norwegian's abilities to the football coach. It is a job with intense pressure. "I was out with some of the other skiers, getting my legs in shape for the season. The kick sailed 5 yards farther than the previous collegiate mark and 3 yards beyond the existing NFL record. His three field goals of 48, 32 and25 yards against the Vikings gave us a 9-0 lead, and his 48-yard kick had a stunning effect on Minnesota. I had gone to a couple of games, but my girl [now Loni Stenerud] had to explain what was happening." He always handled himself with class and style, graceand dignity. And it. There isn't a doubt in my mind that he's the greatest long-distance field-goal kicker who ever played the game. Passing, Rushing, & Receiving. He went out for spring practice in 1965 and made the team the following fall. But Stenerud set another college record which should stand forever: a 113-yard field goal try. "The track surrounds the football practice field," said Stenerud. Member since Aug 2006. The story is that when Stenerud heard he had been drafted, he started looking on the map for Vietnam. I mentioned Hank earlier, and you know his coaching record, but one thing you don't know about Hank that made the biggest impact on me. But I never dreamed that my greatest jump of all would be to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. When I came to Kansas City in 1967, he went out on the practice field several weeks before training camp started. He was one of the first placekickers to use the "soccer style", a technique the Hungarian-born Pete Gogolak had recently introduced in the AFL. When the Packers signed Norway native Jan Stenerud before the 13th game of the 1980 season . For you barefoot kicking fans, heres a better video of Franklin kicking barefoot, this time for the Philadelphia Eagles. Then he was hit hard after kicking a field goal in the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. But he missed a potential go-ahead field goal with 35 seconds remaining. I also want to tell the football fans and the football organization with the three teams that I played, Kansas City, Green Bay and Minnesota, a heartfelt thank you for your loyalty and support. I had to read that about three times before I understood it. Hed become all the more enchanted with the sport after attending the nearby Oslo Olympics in 1952. I was drafted by Kansas City at the right time. And that first-half miss from 29 yards out? Height: 6-2; Weight: 187. He knows all the finer points to kicking.. In 1984, the Packers traded Stenerud to the Minnesota Vikings for a seventh-round draft choice. People who are born with Jupirer as the ruling planet are optimistic and have a big appetite for life. [8] The Dolphins won 2724 in double overtime on a 37-yard field goal by Garo Yepremian. Stenerud loved soccer as a child, and played it well, but he was baffled by football and its odd pace. On Christmas Day 1971, the Chiefs hosted the Miami Dolphins in an AFC divisional playoff game. I can honestly say that if you havent played football in Green Bay and youve been in the NFL a long time, youve missed out on something special, he said in an interview with Monday Night Football in 2000. As young adults during the McCarthy Era, many members of this generation felt it was dangerous to speak out. . His excellence on the ski slopes in Bozeman, MT helped him earn All-American honors in the mid-1960s. He finished the season without missing a single PAT, and made 90.5 percent of his field-goal attempts. If the opportunity knocks, who knows what could happen?. 4 tight end prospects for Chiefs fans to watch at the NFL Scouting Combine. He kicked three field goals in Kansas Citys Super Bowl IV win, made the Pro Bowl four times, was named an All-Pro four times, earned spots on both the 75th and 100th NFL Anniversary teams, had his number retired by the Chiefs, and is a member of both the Chiefs and Packers team Halls of Fame. Though hes most notable for his time with the Chiefs and also played for the Vikings (hey, nobodys perfect), Stenerud cites his time with the Packers as possibly the best and definitely the most unique. "You can forget that," says Stram. If you think he needed help, let me show you some charts. Jan Stenerud attended Montana State University. Gano was great in 2017 but the Panthers could have had a kicker at $1.935M for the next 3 seasons (2018-2020) if Harrison Butker had been kept instead. Like many famous people and celebrities, Jan Stenerud keeps his personal life private. He was such a transformative presence as to become a factor in rules changes and led a wave that ultimately rendered obsolete the traditional straight-on kickers, a fact underscored by the 1.2 million patented tees and instructional books sold in his name. Most coaches don't, or at least I don't think they do. Stenerud played parts of four seasons in Green Bay from 1980 to 1983, converting 59 of 73 field goal attempts and 115 of 118 extra. Now how in the hell was I going to help him if he ever got in a slump if I didn't know what he was doing? free shipping Jan Stenerud Autographed Signed Auto Official Wilson NFL Football W/HOF 91 JSA WIN. With no agent to represent him, Stenerud scoffs now at how the no-cut might have worked out if he hadnt produced. The difference was four field goals, with Kansas City winning 26-21. Field conditions generally werent as accommodating, and the ball wasnt as aerodynamic. A native of Decatur, Georgia who attended Atlantas exclusive Westminster School, he is a product of Georgia Tech, from which he graduated with a degree in industrial engineering. I'm sure no one in the stands actually thought I'd make it. I didnt know the first thing about a soccer-style kicker.. The discovery that the star ski jumper (three-time Big Sky champion) was a super football kicker was made, naturally enough, by Montana State's basketball coach, Roger Craft. A free education in what his father considered the greatest country on Earth couldnt be passed up. Please ignore . Late in his sophomore year, Stenerud was spotted kicking a football by the college's basketball coach, who relayed the news of the Norwegian's abilities to the football coach. Stenerud missed the FG but my opine, the wrong choice was made pre-kick. Barefoot kickers, cats and dogs living together, MASS HYSTERIA. Well I saw that kicker for Houston (85 Cotton Bowl) kick barefoot on a kickoff. In the AFL, Jan made his first kick - a 54-yard field goal in the 1967 season opener against Houston. The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. $169.22. Jan Stenerud flew off a ski jump in Norway and landed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At the time of his retirement, he was the longest-tenured (19 years) professional football player to have played in the AFL. He kicked 17 field goals over 50 yards, and his personal best was a 55-yarder against Denver in 1970. Thats how the scouts from around the league heard about me, Jan said. My dad, who passed away two years ago, always had ambitious dreams and goals, while my mother had always been a realist. "Whenever the team got to the 50-yard line (the student section) would start yelling, 'Send in Jan!'" Stenerud said with a laugh. He didn't have a prima donna bone in his body. Reid didn't disappoint with an all-time great at practice, kicking what looked like a 25-yard field goal in front of both Harrison Butker and Stenerud. You think that didn't help? $346.14. They had great players when I got there. I wasn't really familiar with the game, but I guess I did OKbecause Coach Sweeney tried to convince me to go out for spring football the next year, which I did. "He brought me in a month early before my first season. As I became more and more familiar for this great game, I learned to appreciate the skills necessary to play the various positions. He also worked as a commentator for Scandinavian TV channel TV3's Super Bowl Sunday coverage in the 1990s, and still maintains strong ties with his native Norway. If there are qualitiesI have inherited from both of themis the stability and determination. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, MIGHTY NETWORKS, 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Colonel Paris Davis received the Medal of Honor nearly 60 years after he earned it in Vietnam, Partially paralyzed sailor finds release in adaptive sports, The top 10 most patriotic moments in sports history, Ray Didinger On Tony Franklin, The Barefoot Cannon, For Former Kicker, the Price of Fearlessness - The New York Times, The Era of the Barefoot Kicker | NFL Films Presents - YouTube. The Chiefs had 79-year-old Pro Football Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud out at practice on Thursday. When the professional average was 50 percent, Stenerud hit better than 70 percent in his first four years with the Chiefs, and his deep kickoffs were part of a movement to push them back to the 35 (and later the 30). "Right down the middle," Reid yelled. Ski jumping requires concentration and, of course, kicking field goals requires concentration as well. His list of outstanding achievements is long. There are two people here today that are great kickers as well as outstanding football players: George Blanda and Lou Graza. All along the way, he never forgot the first coach who gave him a shot. He is best known for being a Football Player. Well, why not? ", Former ski jumper Jan Stenerud of the Kansas City Chiefs has become the best field-goal kicker in a sport he hardly understands, 2023 ABG-SI LLC. For that matter, Stenerud set a collegiate record that never will be broken: Technically, anyway, he attempted a 113-yard field goal. He was an All-American ski jumper on a ski scholarship. Nothing. MSU students arrived at Gatton Field early to watch Stenerud kick on warmups. Stenerud couldn't participate that fall, 1964, because of eligibility rules. He makes you feel you cant give up a thing because he is so dangerous from anywhere inside the 50, Eller told Pro Football Weekly, adding, I think (Stenerud) was most valuable player in the game.. Does all that add up to a player worth swapping for Mason Crosby? I'm even ashamed to tell my wife about it. . Having retired in 1985, Stenerud doesn't kick field goals any more. If your browser is out of date, try updating it. The 40s also brought us the Slinky, Velcro, Jeep, Tupperware and Frisbee. He was sincere, had great pride and dedication. Why try to change whats going well? Over his 14-year career with the Chiefs, he scored 1,466 points still a franchise record and was routinely counted as one of the best in the game. Heard you can kick!. The higher education of Jan Stenerud, a ski jumper from Fetsund, Norway, began one fall afternoon in 1965 when Jim Sweeney, then the head coach at Montana State, held up a bloated object and said, "Son, this is a football." The New England Patriots kicker Tony Franklin even made a 59-yard field goal while completely shoeless. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. As the Montana State Bobcats practiced for their final home football game in 1964, Jan Stenerud was going through his own fall routine: conditioning his legs for the upcoming ski season by running the stadiums steps. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Jan Stenerud (born November 26, 1942) is a former professional football player for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs (1967-1969), and the NFL's Chiefs (1970-1979), Green Bay Packers (1980-1983), and Minnesota Vikings (1984-1985). "But really," says Stenerud, "I had my mind made up five minutes after I talked to Stram. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. The 80-year-old football player was born in Norway. At 80 years old, Jan Stenerud height is 6' 2" (1.88 m) . We liked him coming out. And now I would like for you to meet the most important people in my life, Shane, Clancey, Betsy and of course, my wife, Lindy. Reaching back with his right leg, Stenerud slammed the football so hard with the ball of his right foot that it sounded like two horses colliding. Dave Rayner came in and lasted 10 games before giving way to 18-year veteran John Carney to finish the 2007 season. I decided right then that he was the coach I wanted to play for, that he was a man who could help me.". Bookmark this page and come back often for updates. And with all of his accomplishments, recognition, statistics and records, the best thing about Jan is Jan the person. He is best known for being a Football Player. This is the land of opportunity, Stenerud remembered thinking. He attended Montana State University on a ski jumping scholarship. In making field goals and kickoffs forces they never had been, with consistent excellence for nearly 20 years, Stenerud became the first and for decades, only pure kicker in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.