In American football, the placekicker, or simply kicker, is the player who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In most cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist and occasionally in youth football, also acts as the punter.
David Michael Zastudil is a former American football punter. He played college football at Ohio, and was drafted in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.
Louis Roy Groza, nicknamed "the Toe", was an American professional football offensive tackle and placekicker while playing his entire career for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). Groza was professional football's career kicking and points leader when he retired after the 1967 season. He played in 21 seasons for the Browns, helping the team to win eight league championships in that span. Groza's accuracy and strength as a kicker influenced the development of place-kicking as a specialty; he could kick field goals from beyond 50 yards (46 m) at a time when attempts from that distance were a rarity. He set numerous records for distance and number of field goals kicked during his career.
John Matthew Stover is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker for 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Baltimore Ravens. After five seasons for the Cleveland Browns, he was among the Browns players transferred to the newly-created Ravens franchise in 1996, with whom he played 13 seasons. Additionally, Stover was a member of the New York Giants during his first season and Indianapolis Colts during his last. His most successful season was in 2000 when he earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors en route to the Ravens winning their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXV. He was also part of the Giants team that won Super Bowl XXV. For his accomplishments with the Ravens, Stover was named to the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor in 2011.
A punter (P) in gridiron football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts (kicks) the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a third down in Canadian football. Punters may also occasionally take part in fake punts in those same situations, when they throw or run the football instead of punting.
The NFL playoffs following the 1968 NFL season determined who would represent the league in Super Bowl III.
James Thomas Breech is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL), who played for Oakland Raiders in 1979 and Cincinnati Bengals from 1980-1992. Before his NFL career, Breech played for the University of California, Berkeley and Sacramento High School. Breech was notable among kickers for wearing a different size cleat on his kicking foot. He wore a smaller size 5 cleat on his right kicking foot which he felt gave him more control and stability kicking the football.
Russell Erxleben is a former American football player and currency investor. He shares the record for the longest successful field goal in NCAA history at 67 yards, which he set in 1977 while playing for the University of Texas. Erxleben was a three-time All-American punter. He was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, an extremely rare occurrence for a kicker. After an NFL career lasting six years, he became a currency investor. Convicted of securities fraud in 1999, he was released from federal prison in 2005. He was again convicted of investment fraud in 2014 and sentenced to 90 months in federal prison.
Matthew David Bahr is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL), and professional soccer player in the North American Soccer League. He attended Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, where he excelled in both football and soccer. He is the son of National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee Walter Bahr, and is the brother of NFL kicker Chris Bahr; he and Chris are two of six players to have played in both pro soccer and the NFL.
In American football, Red Right 88 is the name given to a passing play called by the Cleveland Browns during a National Football League (NFL) playoff game against the Oakland Raiders on January 4, 1981. In the years since, the term has been used to refer to both the play itself and the game.
Loris Hoskins Baker, was an American football player in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. While he played several positions, he was best known for being a punter and kicker. He played college football at Oregon State University.
The 1968 NFL Championship Game was the 36th annual championship game. The winner of the game represented the National Football League (NFL) in the third AFL–NFL World Championship Game. The NFL title game was held December 29 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.
The 1980 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 35th overall, and 31st season in the National Football League. The Browns finished the regular season with eleven wins and five losses, and their first division title since 1971, winning a tiebreaker with the Houston Oilers. The 1980 Browns were known as the Kardiac Kids for having several games decided in the final moments. The 1980 season was the first time that Cleveland had qualified for the postseason since 1972. Also, for the second straight year, Browns head coach Sam Rutigliano was named NFL Coach of the Year, and quarterback Brian Sipe was named the league's Most Valuable Player.
Bobby Ray Franklin is a former football safety for the Cleveland Browns. He played as a quarterback for Ole Miss in college, and was the head football coach at Northwest Mississippi Community College. He has been named to seven Halls of Fame for his athletic and coaching accomplishments.
Dave Green is a former punter and placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Houston Oilers, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football for the Ohio Bobcats.
Daniel Roy Carpenter is a former American football placekicker. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008 after playing college football for the University of Montana. He has also played for the Buffalo Bills.
Dustin Hopkins is an American football placekicker for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2013.
Brett Maher is an American football placekicker for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Nebraska and was signed by the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2013. Maher has also been a member of the Dallas Cowboys, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Ottawa Redblacks, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Cleveland Browns, Washington Commanders, Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos, and Los Angeles Rams.
The Miracle at the Met refers to the Minnesota Vikings' comeback win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 15 of the 1980 NFL season. The Vikings trailed 23–9 in the fourth quarter, but won after Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer passed for two touchdowns to wide receiver Ahmad Rashad in the last two minutes, including a 46-yard Hail Mary pass caught with one hand on the last play of the game. The final play is also known as the "Miracle Catch." The Vikings won, 28–23.
Cade York is an American football placekicker who is a free agent. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
