Who Has the Longest Field Goal in NFL History?
The answer to the question of who has the longest field goal in NFL history may surprise you. Read on to find out who holds this record.
Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen (born August 19, 1960), nicknamed “The Great Dane,” is a Danish 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. He held the record for most field goals made in NFL history with 565, until Adam Vinatieri made his 566th field goal on December 3, 2017.
Born in Denmark
Morten Andersen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark on August 19, 1960. He began playing football at the age of five and by his teenage years, he was one of the top kickers in the country. In 1977, he was invited to try out for the prestigious Olympic Sports School in Odense. Although he did not make the team, his performance caught the attention of a number of American colleges who recruited him to play for their football teams. Andersen eventually chose to attend Michigan State University on a full scholarship.
Andersen had a successful college career with the Spartans, setting a number of school records. He was named an All-American in 1981 and 1982, and helped lead Michigan State to a win in the 1982 Rose Bowl. After graduation, he was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 1982 NFL Draft.
Andersen went on to have a successful career in the NFL, playing for the Saints (1982-1994), Atlanta Falcons (1995-2000), New York Giants (2001), Kansas City Chiefs (2002-2003), and Minnesota Vikings (2004-2008). He is widely considered one of the greatest kickers in NFL history and holds multiple league records, including most field goals made (565) and most points scored (2,544).
Drafted by the New Orleans Saints
Morten Andersen (born August 19, 1960), nicknamed “The Great Dane”, is a Danish former American football placekicker. He played 25 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), including 16 for the New Orleans Saints and three for the Atlanta Falcons, and holds the NFL record for most games played.
Andersen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and moved with his family to the United States as a small child. He played college football at Michigan State University. He was selected in the fourth round of the 1982 NFL Draft by the Saints, with whom he played for 13 seasons. In 1995, he briefly left the Saints to play for the Atlanta Falcons; he spent two seasons there before returning to New Orleans. He retired after playing two games in 2007 with Atlanta, havingplayed a then-record382 career games over his 25-season career.
As of 2019, Andersen ranks first on both the NFL’s all-time scoring list and all-time field goal list, scoring 2,544 points and 565 field goals during his career; his 2,544 points were surpassed by Adam Vinatieri that same season. He also shares the NFL record for most overtime field goals made with Jason Elam, Sebastian Janikowski, and Graham Gano, each having made eight field goals in overtime periods during their careers.
Played for the Atlanta Falcons
Morten Andersen (born August 19, 1960), nicknamed “The Great Dane,” is a former American football kicker who played for the Atlanta Falcons (1982–1994), New York Giants (1995), Kansas City Chiefs (1996–1997, 1999), Minnesota Vikings (1998), and New Orleans Saints (2000–2006). After starting out as a walk-on at the University of Michigan, Andersen was an All-American selection before being drafted in the fourth round of the 1982 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. He played most of his career with the Atlanta Falcons, where he holds the franchise scoring record, before spending his final years with various other teams. Andersen is one of only two kickers in NFL history to score more than 2,000 points in their career; Gary Anderson, who also did it, is the other. He is also notable for kicking a 60+ yard field goal on six different occasions throughout his career.
Andersen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
Jason Elam
Jason Elam holds the record for the longest field goal in NFL history. He made a 63-yard field goal against the Denver Broncos in 1998. Elam played for the Broncos for 15 seasons and is currently a free agent.
Drafted by the Denver Broncos
Jason Elam (/ˈiːləm/ EE-ləm; born March 8, 1970) is a former American football placekicker who played 17 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Hawaii and was drafted by the Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. Elam also held the record for most Pro Bowl appearances by a placekicker with seven.
Played for the Atlanta Falcons
Jason Elam (born March 8, 1970) is a former American football placekicker who played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He also held the record for most field goals made in a single season.
Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski, who played for the Raiders, Seahawks, and Panthers in his NFL career, is the record holder for the longest field goal in NFL history. Janikowski’s field goal was 63 yards, which he kicked in 2011 against the Broncos.
Drafted by the Oakland Raiders
In the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders selected Janikowski with the 17th overall pick. He was the only kicker drafted in the first round of an NFL Draft until Zane Gonzalez was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2017. As a rookie, Janikowski converted on 30 of 36 field goal attempts and all 45 of his extra point attempts, leading the Raiders in scoring with 135 points. He set an NFL rookie record with a 63-yard field goal against the Denver Broncos in Week 6 and was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in a Week 10 win over the Seattle Seahawks, when he converted all four of his field goal attempts, including two from beyond 50 yards.
Played for the Oakland Raiders and the Seattle Seahawks
Sebastian Janikowski, nicknamed “Seabass”, is a Polish-born American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Florida State University, and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft. After seventeen seasons with the Raiders, Janikowski signed with the Seattle Seahawks on April 11, 2018.
At Florida State, Janikowski became only the second kicker in NCAA history to be awarded a scholarship. In his senior season in 1999, he won the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s top collegiate placekicker and was a unanimous All-American. In his second NFL season in 2001, Janikowski led the league with 161 points scored, and set an NFL record for most 50+ yard field goals made in one season with five. The following year he helped lead Oakland to their first Super Bowl appearance in 18 years.
Janikowski holds several NFL records for kicking, including: most points scored in a career by a kicker (1,738), most field goals made from 50 or more yards (55), and most seasons played with one team (17). He is also tied for the second longest field goal made in NFL history at 63 yards.
Matt Prater
Kicker Matt Prater of the Denver Broncos made NFL history with a 64-yard field goal on December 8, 2013. This field goal surpassed the 63-yard field goal by Tom Dempsey of the New Orleans Saints, which had been the longest field goal in NFL history since it was set in 1970.
Drafted by the Detroit Lions
Matt Prater (born August 10, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at UCF.
Prater has also been a member of the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, and Arizona Cardinals. With the Broncos, he was a member of their Super Bowl XLVIII championship team against the Carolina Panthers. In 2013, he set an NFL record for the longest field goal with a 64-yarder against the Tennessee Titans.
Played for the Denver Broncos
On December 8, 2013, Prater broke the NFL record for the longest field goal when he kicked a 64-yarder against the Tennessee Titans. The previous record of 63 yards was held by Jason Elam and Tom Dempsey.
David Akers
David Akers is a former NFL football player. He played for the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, and Detroit Lions. Akers is currently the NFL’s all-time leader in field goal percentage. He is also the only player in NFL history to have made a field goal of 60 yards or more in each of his first 10 seasons.
Drafted by the Atlanta Falcons
David Akers was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville. Akers has also been a member of the Washington Redskins, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions.
Akers was born in Lexington, Kentucky. He attended Tates Creek High School in Lexington, and played high school football for the Tates Creek Commodores.
Played for the San Francisco 49ers
David Akers played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1998 to 2002. In that time, he set an NFL record for the longest field goal with a 63-yarder in 2001. He also made a 58-yarder in 2000 and a 62-yarder in 2002.
