What Kickers Are In The Nfl Hall Of Fame?
Wondering which NFL kickers are in the Hall of Fame? Check out this list of the greatest kicking legends to ever play the game.
Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen is the most accurate kicker in NFL history. As of 2018, he is the only kicker with more than 500 field goals and 2,000 points. Andersen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and kicked a 55-yard field goal in a high school football game in 1981. He did not play football again until he was 19 years old, when he kicked for the University of Michigan.
Born in Copenhagen, Denmark on August 19, 1960
Morten Andersen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark on August 19, 1960. He began his career as a soccer player before being discovered by an American football coach while playing in a youth game. Andersen went on to have a successful career as an NFL kicker, playing for the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings. He was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2017.
Began his professional career in the World Football League in 1982
Morten Andersen (born August 19, 1960), nicknamed “The Great Dane”, is a former American football kicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 25 seasons. He is the league’s all-time leading scorer with 2,544 points.
Andersen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and moved to the United States as a child. He played football for Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, and then college football for Michigan State University from 1978 to 1981. While at Michigan State he set six school records and was named an All-American in 1981.
Andersen began his professional career in the World Football League in 1982, but it folded halfway through the season. In 1983, he played for the New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League (USFL). After one season in the USFL, he was selected in the fourth round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints.
Andersen spent 13 seasons with the Saints from 1984 to 1995 and 1996 to 2000. During that time he became known as “Mr. Automatic”, leading the league in scoring six times and becoming the first player ever to kick four field goals of over 50 yards in a single game. He also set an NFL record with 26 consecutive field goals made during the 1986–87 NFL playoffs and Super Bowls XXI and XXII.
In 1995, Andersen was released by Saints due to salary cap issues, but returned to New Orleans after one season with the Atlanta Falcons. Following his second stint with New Orleans he also played for the New York Giants (2001), Kansas City Chiefs (2002–2003), Minnesota Vikings (2004) and Atlanta Falcons again (2006–2007). He finished his career as a member of the Seattle Seahawks in 2007 shoeing two field goals in their NFC Divisional Playoff victory over Washington Redskins en route to their berth in Super Bowl XLII; this would be his final game before retiring at age 47.
Following confirmation that Vinatieri would return for another season with Indianapolis Colts, Andersen retired on December 8th, 2008; more than 8 months after playing his last professional game.
Andersen was inducted into both the Danish American Athletic Hall of Fame (2010) and Pro Football Hall of Fame (2017).
Played for the New Orleans Saints from 1982 to 1994
Morten Andersen (born August 19, 1960), nicknamed “The Great Dane”, is a former American football placekicker who played for six teams in a 25-year career in the National Football League (NFL). He is the all-time leading scorer in NFL history with 2,544 points scored. He held the NFL’s all-time records for most field goals made and most games played for many years; his record of565 field goals made was broken by Jason Elam in 2008. In 2018, he was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Andersen’s first professional season was with the New Orleans Saints in 1982 after he was drafted by them in the fourth round of the 1982 NFL Draft out of Michigan State University. He played his first NFL game on September 26, 1982 against Tampa Bay Buccaneers, making two extra points in the Saints’ 14-9 loss. In his rookie season he led all NFL rookies with 27 field goals made, connecting on 27-of-40 attempts for a then-rookie record 67.5 percent success rate en route to being named to the NFL All-Rookie Team.
Also played for the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, and Kansas City Chiefs
Morten Andersen (born August 19, 1960), nicknamed “The Great Dane,” is a Danish former American football kicker. He played 25 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), longer than anyone has played in the league, and is the league’s all-time leading scorer with 2,544 points. He retired after the 2008 season having played for three different teams: the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, and Indianapolis Colts.
Andersen was selected by Pro Football Writers of America as their All-Nfc team kicker in 1986 and 1995, and was also named to six Pro Bowls. He holds NFL records for most field goals made in a career (565), most seasons with 100 or more points scored (13), most consecutive seasons with 100 or more points scored (11), most games played by a position player (382), and most seasons played (25). He is also the leading scorer among non-quarterbacks as well as the oldest player to appear in an NFL game.
Andersen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
Was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017
Morten Andersen (born August 19, 1960), nicknamed “The Great Dane”, is a former American football kicker who played 25 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He is the all-time leading scorer in NFL history with 2,544 points scored. Anderson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
Anderson played college football for the Michigan State Spartans football team before he was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 1982 NFL Draft. During his first season in New Orleans, Anderson set an NFL rookie record for most field goals made in a season with 20. He went on to play for the Atlanta Falcons for 13 seasons, setting a franchise record for most points scored. Anderson briefly played for the New York Giants during his career before returning to Atlanta to finish his career with the Falcons. He also spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings.
Anderson holds NFL records for most seasons played (25), most games played (382), and most consecutive seasons with at least one field goal (22). He is also the oldest player in NFL history to score a point, having done so at 48 years old.
Jan Stenerud
Jan Stenerud is the only pure kicker in the NFL Hall of Fame.
Born in Oslo, Norway on November 26, 1942
Jan Stenerud is a retired Norwegian-American football player. He was born in Oslo, Norway on November 26, 1942. He grew up in Montana and played college football at Montana State University. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1967 NFL Draft and he played for the Chiefs until 1979. He then played for the Green Bay Packers from 1980 to 1983. He retired from football in 1985. During his career, he was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
Began his professional career with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1967
Jan Stenerud was born on November 26, 1942 in Fetsund, Norway. His family moved to Canada when he was a young child, and he grew up in Calgary, Alberta. He began playing football at an early age, and eventually attended Montana State University on a football scholarship. Stenerud played four seasons for the Montana State Bobcats from 1961-1964. He was named an All-American in 1963 and 1964, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
Stenerud began his professional career with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1967. He spent 14 seasons with the Chiefs, during which time he became one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history. He made 77% of his field goal attempts during his time with the Chiefs, and holds the franchise record for most points scored (1,699). Stenerud was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
Also played for the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings
After retirement, Stenerud became an officer of both the United Bank of Montana and the Montana State University Foundation. He served for fifteen years on the National Football Foundation, eight of them as president. In 1991 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Jan Stenerud was born on November 26, 1942, in Oslo, Norway. When he was a young boy, his family immigrated to Canada, eventually settling in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Stenerud began playing football in high school and at six feet three inches and two hundred pounds, he had the size to play the game well. After high school he attended Montana State University on a football scholarship.
At Montana State, Stenerud excelled as both a placekicker and a punter. In 1964 he was named an All-American and helped lead his team to an undefeated season and a national championship. After college, Stenerud was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 1965 NFL draft. He would go on to play for nineteen seasons with the Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings.
Stenerud was one of the first professional football players to specialize in kicking. He was extremely accurate, converting on seventy-seven percent of his field goal attempts over his career. He was named to seven Pro Bowl teams and was named first-team All-Pro five times. In 1969 he set an NFL record for most field goals made in a season with forty-two. He also holds the distinction of being the first kicker to score one thousand points in a career.
After retirement, Stenerud became involved in business and philanthropy. He served for fifteen years on the National Football Foundation Board of Directors, eight of them as president. In 1991 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, becoming just the second placekicker to receive that honor (the other is Morten Andersen).
Was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991
Stenerud is the only pure placekicker to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted in his first year of eligibility in 1991. Before Stenerud, the placekicker was an afterthought in pro football; he was usually a player who had some talent at another position but was not talented enough to start there. Stenerud changed all of that; he was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 1964 AFL draft out of Montana State University, where he played both football and basketball.
Gary Anderson
Gary Anderson may not be a household name, but he is most certainly a legend in the world of NFL kickers. Anderson played in the NFL for 23 seasons, amassing 2,484 points over the course of his career. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest to ever play the game.
Born in South Bend, Indiana on February 5, 1959
Gary Anderson may not be a household name, but he is one of the most accurate field goal kickers in NFL history. He played for four teams during his 24-year career and was named to the Pro Bowl four times. Anderson also holds the NFL record for most field goals in a season, with 30 in 1998. That year, he helped lead the Atlanta Falcons to the Super Bowl.
Anderson’s career stats include 2,434 points (second all-time), 565 field goals (sixth all-time), and 1,158 extra points (third all-time). He was inducted into the National Football League Hall of Fame in 2020.
Began his professional career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1982
Gary Anderson may refer to:
Gary Anderson (American football) (born 1959), former American football placekicker
Gary Anderson (British politician) (born 1948), British Conservative Party politician and former MP
Gary Anderson (cricketer) (born 1949), English cricketer
Gary Anderson (curler) (born 1964), Scottish curler and Olympic gold medalist
Gary Anderson (darts player) (born 1970), Scottish darts player, former World Champion and currently ranked world No. 2
Gary Anderson (footballer, born 1938), English former professional footballer who played as a centre half
Gary Anderson (footballer, born 1947), Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder
Also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers
Gary Anderson (born February 19, 1959) is a former American football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He played college football for the Syracuse Orangemen. Anderson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 1982 NFL Draft, and also played professionally for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans. He was selected to four Pro Bowls during his career.
Anderson is currently sixth on the NFL’s all-time scoring list with 2,365 points; he amassed this total over his 23 NFL seasons from 1982 to 2004. This number is also good for fourth all-time in league history for career field goals made with 538 successful kicks. Anderson missed only one field goal attempt during his first 26 seasons in the NFL (a 40-yarder during a 1993 game against Green Bay), a record 96.9% success rate that remains intact as of 2012. Furthermore, since becoming a professional kicker in 1982, Anderson had attempted 879 field goals and missed only twelve times through the end of the 2004 season (a success rate of 98.6%).
Was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020
Apart from Jason Hanson, Gary Anderson is the most accurate kicker in NFL history. He played for five NFL teams in a career that spanned 25 seasons from 1982 to 2007, and his 2,044 points scored ranks 12th all-time in league history. He made 565 of his 709 field goal attempts (79.6 percent), which is the second-highest success rate in NFL history, and he also made 666 of his 699 extra point attempts (95.1 percent). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
