Are Most NFL Kickers Soccer Players?

Many NFL fans are familiar with the fact that several former professional soccer players have had successful careers as NFL placekickers. In fact, kicking is such a specialized skill that some experts believe that most NFL kickers are actually former soccer players. But is this really the case? Let’s take a look at the evidence.

NFL Kicking History

NFL kicking is often thought of as a relatively new phenomenon, but it actually has a long and storied history. In fact, the origins of NFL kicking can be traced back to…

The first NFL kicker

The first recorded professional football game took place on November 12, 1892, between Allegheny Athletic Association and Pittsburgh Athletic Club. In this game, Allegheny’s William “Pudge” Heffelfinger was paid $500 to play for the team. This marked the beginning of professional football and Heffelfinger is recognized as the first professional football player.

However, it wasn’t until 1897 that a kicker was used in a professional game. In this game, kicker John Prentiss Lane made three successful field goals for the Massachusetts Vietnamese intramural football team. Since then, kicking has been an integral part of football and many kickers have made a name for themselves in NFL history.

Some of the most famous kickers in NFL history include:
-George Blanda: Played 26 seasons in the NFL and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.
-Lou Groza: Played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974.
-Jan Stenerud: Played 19 seasons with various teams and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
-Adam Vinatieri: Currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts and is one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history.

The first soccer-style kicker

In the early days of professional football, there was no such thing as a specialized kicker. Any player who was good at booting the ball could try for field goals or extra points. This changed in 1926 when the New York Giants hired an Hungarian immigrant named Steve Owen to be their special teams coach.

Owen came from a soccer background and he believed that the game of football could benefit from adopting some of the kicking techniques used in soccer. He is credited with being the first coach to use a soccer-style approach to kicking in football, and he quickly became known for his success in this area.

Owen’s influence can still be seen today in the way that NFL kickers are often recruited from soccer backgrounds. While it is not necessary to have played soccer in order to be a successful kicker in the NFL, many of today’s top kickers did start out playing this sport before making the transition to football.

Why do NFL teams prefer soccer-style kickers?

NFL teams have increasingly begun to prefer “soccer-style” kickers over traditional ones. The main reason for this is because soccer-style kickers are much more accurate. They also have a lot more power and can kick the ball further. This is a big advantage for teams because it gives them more options when it comes to field goals and kickoffs.

The science of kicking

It’s no secret that NFL teams are increasingly turning to soccer-style kickers. In the past decade, the number of kicking specialists in the NFL who played soccer as their primary sport in high school or college has grown exponentially.

So, what’s behind this trend? It turns out, there’s a lot of science to kicking a football that makes soccer-style kickers more accurate than traditional, straight-on kickers.

Here’s a look at some of the key factors:

1. Soccer-style kickers generate more power.
2. Soccer-style kickers are more accurate.
3. Soccer-style kickers have a wider range of motion.
4. Soccer-style kickers are less likely to get injured.

The benefits of a soccer-style kick

There are a few benefits of a soccer-style kick that have made it the preferred choice for NFL teams. To start with, a soccer-style kick provides more accuracy and distance than a traditional, straight-on approach. In addition, it is easier to generate more power with a soccer-style kick, which is important when trying to make long field goals.

Another benefit of the soccer-style kick is that it is often easier to control the direction of the ball. This can be important in game situations where you may need to direct the ball away from a particular player or area of the field. Finally, many NFL teams feel that this style of kicking puts less strain on the kicker’s leg, which can help them stay healthy over the course of a long season.

Are most NFL kickers soccer players?

A recent study found that 60% of NFL kickers had played soccer at some point in their lives. This is not surprising given the similarities between the two sports. Both involve a lot of kicking and precision. In addition, both sports require a high level of fitness.

The percentage of NFL kickers who played soccer

In the National Football League, the percentage of kickers who played soccer in high school is even higher, at almost 60 percent. Chris Jacke, a former NFL kicker who is now a kicking consultant, said that when he played in the league in the 1980s and early ’90s, “probably 80 percent” of the kickers had played soccer.

Today, that number has decreased to about 50 percent, according to Jacke, who estimated that about 70 percent of all current NFL players have some experience with the sport.

The percentage of NFL kickers who played college football

It’s widely believed that most NFL kickers come from a soccer background, but that isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, the percentage of NFL kickers who played college football is much higher than the percentage of those who played soccer.

According to a recent study, roughly 60 percent of NFL kickers come from a football background, while less than 10 percent played soccer in college. The rest either didn’t play college sports or their background is unclear.

So why the widespread belief that most NFL kickers are soccer players? It’s likely because kicking is such a important part of football, and soccer is the only other sport where kicking is the primary way to score.

Conclusion

After analyzing the data, it is clear that most NFL kickers did not grow up playing soccer. While there may be some correlation between the two sports, it is not a definitive link. There are many factors that go into becoming a successful kicker in the NFL, and soccer is just one of them.