100 Years of NFL: Kick Specialists Quiz

Answer: Most extra points made, career

Adam Viniateri was a quarterback and linebacker in high school, but switched to placekicker in college as he felt that he was too small. He went to South Dakota State and excelled at the position, but went undrafted. He then joined the Amsterdam Admirals of the World League of American Football, but soon afterward signed on with the New England Patriots. With the Patriots, Viniateri impressed head coach Bill Belichick on his very first season when the kick returner Herschel Walker of the Cowboys had an opportunity to score on a kickoff and Viniateri tackled him, uncharacteristically of a placekicker.

Adam Viniateri would go on to win three Super Bowls with the Patriots, XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX. After the 2005 season, Viniateri chose to test free agency and signed with the Indianapolis Colts. With the Colts he would win a fourth Super Bowl, XLI. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2002, 2004, and 2014, and ended his career in 2019 at the age of 46.

Answer: Gary Anderson

Morten Anderson was a Danish placekicker in the NFL with five different teams: the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons (twice), New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, and Minnesota Vikings. Over three decades, Andersen was a kicking phenom, making accurate kicks under pressure and in critical situations. Over that time, he had a rivalry going with kicker Gary Anderson, mostly because they shared a lot of similarities. They were both born outside of the United States, within a year of one another. Their accuracy and statistics are similar, in fact, when they retired, they were first and second on many NFL kicking records. The main reason that Andersen was inducted into the Hall of Fame (in 2017) and Anderson wasn't is because of a game that they played against one another.

In the 1998 NFC Championship Game, Gary Anderson missed a field goal from 38 yards out that would have won the game for the Minnesota Vikings. Instead, the game went into overtime. Andersen's 38-yard field goal in the extra frame was what sent the Atlanta Falcons to the Super Bowl that year (where they would lose to the Denver Broncos).

Answer: Cleveland Browns

Lou Groza was nicknamed "The Toe" for his amazing accuracy. When most field goals were being hit at short distances, Groza was able to extend his range beyond 50 yards and set NFL records for distance. Upon his discharge from the US Army, Groza tried out for and made the team for the Cleveland Browns, originally an AAFC franchise that was soon absorbed into the NFL. The Browns swept the AAFC in all four years that they were there, and Groza was also part of the Browns' success in the NFL, winning championships in 1950, 1954, 1955, and 1964.

Due to an injury, Groza briefly retired for the 1960 season, but he played on until after the 1967 season. He was named to the Pro Bowl a whopping nine times, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.

Answer: Quarterback

George Blanda was a placekicker and also a quarterback who played for 26 seasons for four different teams. He started his career with the Chicago Bears but disputes with head coach George Halas caused him to retire after the 1958 season. After a year off, Blanda signed with the Houston Oilers, and finally he ended up with the Oakland Raiders. While Blanda was a good quarterback, he was a truly amazing kicker.

Over his career, George Blanda would throw more interceptions than touchdowns, but, when he was hot, he was red-hot. There were amazing performances where Blanda threw multiple touchdowns per game, had more than 400 yards passing, and won games against good teams. He helped himself by making over 98% of his extra point attempts. It was at the end of his career that Blanda nearly won Super Bowls. The Raiders were a good team who lost in the Super Bowl in 1967, and nearly made it again in 1968 as well as 1969. Ironically, Blanda was cut during the training camp before the 1976 season, the year that the Raiders finally won the Super Bowl. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

Answer: Norway

Jan Stenerud was born in Fetsund, Norway, and came over to the United States on a ski jumping scholarship. One time, when cooling off from a workout, Stenerud was kicking around a ball with his friend on the football team and a coach happened to notice how strong the kicks were. He called over the head coach and they offered Stenerud an opportunity to try out for the team. The tryout went well and Stenerud started his career in football.

Jan Stenerud was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs, an AFL franchise, as a dedicated kicker. At that time, kicker was a second role for a player on the team, often, the quarterback. He immediately was far more accurate than most kickers in the league, hitting about 70% of his field goal attempts. He played for 19 seasons with the Chiefs, Packers, and Vikings, then retired. When he retired, his tenure set an NFL record. He was named to the Pro Bowl four times and he won Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1991, and was the first 'pure' kicker to be selected.

Answer: First

Ray Guy was a punting specialist who played college football for Southern Mississippi. He famously kicked a 93-yard punt in a game against University of Mississippi in 1972. The following year, Guy graduated and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders, 23rd overall. He was the first punter to be drafted in the first round and only the second kicking specialist to be drafted in the first round, after Charlie Gogolak, a placekicker.

Ray Guy is considered by many to be the best punter in the first 100 years of the NFL. He played for thirteen seasons, all with the Raiders, and played in 207 consecutive games in that time. His punts had amazing hang times and would allow the Raiders enough time to get downfield so that a punt return was nearly impossible. At one point, Guy kicked 619 consecutive punts without being blocked. In fact, over his entire career, he had only three punts blocked. He won three Super Bowls as a Raider, XI, XV, and XVIII, and was named to the Pro Bowl seven times. In 2014, Ray Guy was the first punter named to the Hall of Fame. In his induction speech, he remarked that "now the Hall of Fame has a complete team."

Answer: Thunderfoot

Jerrel Wilson played college football for the University of Southern Mississippi and then was drafted in the 1963 AFL in the 11th round by the Kansas City Chiefs. He was also, interestingly, drafted in the 17th round by the NFL's Los Angeles Rams but opted to sign with the Chiefs. He played for fifteen years for the Chiefs and then one final year with the New England Patriots before retiring after the 1978 season.

As a punter, he would boot the ball as though he was trying to deflate it. The result was a tall arching kick that allowed the opponents time to surround the receiver. Because his kicks were like dynamite, he earned the name "Thunderfoot". He led the NFL in average punt distance four times, an NFL record set in 1973, and was named to three Pro Bowls. He passed away at the age of 63 in 2005 after a bout with cancer.

Answer: Coffin corner

Jeff Feagles was a journeyman punter that played for 22 seasons in the NFL. In that time, he played for the New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, and New York Giants. Amazingly, in all of those 22 seasons, Jeff Feagles never missed a game. Let that sink in for a second... in one of the most punishing and physical sports out there, Feagles played 352 consecutive regular-season games (363 including playoff games). The previous record had been 'a mere' 283, held by Jim Marshall.

Jeff Feagles also retired with the record for most punts within the 20-yard line with 554. He was one of the first punters to perfect the coffin corner technique of trapping the ball in the corner of the red zone so that the receiver cannot get out.

Answer: 137 rushing yards

Sammy Baugh was a genuine athlete at a time that football was not the game it is today. At that time, play was vicious, padding was optional, and the toll on the players was punishing. Sammy Baugh was not only the punter for the Washington Redskins, but also the quarterback and a defensive end. In a game in 1943 against the Detroit Lions, Baugh passed for four touchdowns, intercepted Frankie Sinkwich four times, and booted an 81-yard punt, the best punt of that season in the NFL. The Redskins won that game 42-20.

Sammy Baugh had an amazing season in 1943 when he led the league in passing, punting, and defensive interceptions. He also set the record for the highest single-season punting average at 51.4 yards in 1940. He was voted into the Hall of Fame with the inaugural class of 1963. While he is often remembered for being a great quarterback, he was also a talented punter.

Answer: Highest all-time career punting average

Shane Lechler, considered by many to be one of the best punters to ever play football, was a player on the Oakland Raiders from 2000 to 2012, and for the Houston Texans from 2013 to 2017, after which he retired. He first played for a Raider team that was playoff-bound, and later was in contention for the first draft pick. All the while, Lechler managed consistently to have season punting averages of over 45 yards. When he went to Houston, his performance stayed consistently great. When he retired, Lechler's career punting average of 47.6 yards was an NFL record. He had only five blocked punts over his career, not a record, but still amazing.

Shane Lechler never got to win a Super Bowl, though he did play in one, Super Bowl XXXVII. He was named to the Pro Bowl seven times and was named an All-Pro nine times.