Evan McPherson

Last updated

Evan McPherson
Evan McPherson (51394980490) (cropped) (cropped).jpg
McPherson with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021
No. 2 – Cincinnati Bengals
Position: Placekicker
Personal information
Born: (1999-07-21) July 21, 1999 (age 24)
Fort Payne, Alabama, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school: Fort Payne (Fort Payne, Alabama)
College: Florida (2018–2020)
NFL draft: 2021  / Round: 5 / Pick: 149
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
NFL record
Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2023
Field goals made:78
Field goals attempted:93
Field goal %:83.9
Longest field goal:59
Touchbacks:169
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

Evan McPherson mick-FEAR-suhn; [1] (born July 21, 1999) is an American football placekicker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida before being drafted by the Bengals in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the only kicker to be selected that year. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

During the Bengals' 2021 playoff run, McPherson tied Adam Vinatieri for most field goals made in a single postseason, with 14, and set the record for most postseason field goals made without any misses. [5] Due to his clutch kicking, McPherson is nicknamed "Shooter" [6] (after the Happy Gilmore character of a similar nickname) and "Money Mac." [7]

He owns the Bengals franchise record longest field goal with a 59-yard field goal he made in 2022.

Early years

McPherson started his football career at Fort Payne High School in Fort Payne, Alabama, where he spent four seasons as the team's kicker and punter. At Fort Payne, he made a 60-yard field goal and an 84-yard punt, both kicks being one yard short of the Alabama high school record. He also made the first-team All-State in 2017. [8]

College career

McPherson went on to play college football at Florida from 2018–2020 before choosing to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft. [9] [4] At Florida, McPherson was 51-of-60 (85.0%) on field goals, setting a Southeastern Conference record for career field goal percentage (minimum 50 attempts), [10] and 149-of-150 on extra points. He made 5 of 8 career field goal attempts from at least 50 yards. [8] In his three seasons with the Gators, the team recorded a 29–9 record and a 2–1 record in bowl games, including an Orange Bowl win in 2019. [11] McPherson made all three of his field goal attempts in that game, the longest from 49 yards.

At the time he left Florida, his career field goal percentage ranked 12th in NCAA history. [12]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span
5 ft 11 in
(1.80 m)		185 lb
(84 kg)		29 in
(0.74 m)		9+1⁄8 in
(0.23 m)
All values from Pro Day [13] [14]

2021

McPherson was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round, 149th overall, of the 2021 NFL Draft. [15] He signed his four-year rookie contract with the Bengals on May 17, 2021. [16]

McPherson was a perfect 5/5 on field goals during the Bengals' three 2021 preseason games, including a 57-yard kick. At the end of the pre-season, the Bengals released their only other kicker on the roster, Austin Seibert, and named McPherson the starter for the 2021 regular season. [17] McPherson became the first player from Fort Payne High School ever to play in an NFL regular season game. [18]

McPherson made his first regular-season field goal attempt, a 53-yarder, in the season-opener against the Minnesota Vikings on September 12, 2021. During overtime, McPherson kicked a 33-yard game-winning field goal to secure a 27–24 win, earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. [19] [20] On November 21, McPherson tied an NFL record by making three field goals from over 50 yards in one game, going 4/4 on kicks from 54, 53, 51, and 47 yards in a 32–13 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, securing his second AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award in the process. [21] [22] He also set the franchise record for most 50-yard field goals made in a season, breaking the old record of 4 set by Horst Muhlmann in 1970. On December 19, McPherson set the franchise record for longest field goal for the Bengals with a 58-yard kick against the Denver Broncos. [23]

McPherson finished the season 28-of-33 on field goal attempts (84.8%), including being 9-of-11 on field goals (81.8%) from 50+ yards. In the Bengals' Wild Card game against the Raiders, McPherson was 4-of-4 on field goals, assisting the team to a 26–19 victory that gave them their first postseason win in 31 years. Subsequently, in the Divisional Round game, he again made 4-of-4 field goals, including two from over 50 yards. His 52-yard field goal as time expired gave the Bengals a 19–16 win over the Tennessee Titans to send them to their first AFC Championship Game since 1988. McPherson also became the first kicker in NFL history to kick at least 4 field goals in multiple games during the same postseason. [24] In the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, McPherson was again 4-of-4 on his field goal attempts, including a game winning 31-yard field goal in overtime in the 27–24 win, advancing the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI, where he kicked two more field goals in the 23–20 loss. [25] [26] McPherson's 14-of-14 playoff field goals set the record for most field goals made by a rookie, as well as ties the all-time record for most field goals made in a single postseason. [27] His 12 combined 50+ yard field goals in the regular season and playoffs also set the NFL record for most combined regular season and postseason 50+ yard field goals made by one player in a single season. [27]

2022

In the Bengals season opening game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, McPherson set a franchise record for longest field goal with 59 yards. [28] However, after an injury to long snapper Clark Harris, McPherson had a potential game-winning extra point blocked and missed a 29-yard field goal in overtime, leading to a 23–20 loss. [29] In Week 4, McPherson converted both field goal attempts and all three extra points in a 27–15 win over the Miami Dolphins, earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. [30] In week 6, McPherson kicked a 52-yard field goal in the Bengals 30–26 win over the New Orleans Saints. [31] McPherson finished the season making 82.8% of his field goals, with a perfect 5/5 on field goals from 50+ yards. However, he missed four extra points during the season, as well as one in the playoffs. [32] Still, he remained perfect on postseason field goals, making all his attempts in the Bengals three playoff games to push his record up to 19/19. [33]

NFL career statistics

Legend
NFL record

Regular season

GeneralField goalsPATsKickoffsPoints
SeasonTeamGPFGMFGAFG%BlckLongXPMXPAXP%KOAvgTBsPts
2021 CIN 16283384.8%058464895.8%9163.955130
2022 CIN 16242982.8%059404490.9%9062.351112
2023 CIN 17263183.9%0564040100%8263.063118
Career 49789383.9%05912613295.5%26363.0169360

Postseason

GeneralField goalsPATsKickoffsPoints
SeasonTeamGPFGMFGAFG%BlckLongXPMXPAXP%KOAvgTBsPts
2021 CIN 41414100.0%05466100.0%2464.51648
2022 CIN 355100.0%0396785.7%1564.3521
Career 71919100.0%054121392.3%3964.42169

Personal life

McPherson is a Christian. [34] McPherson is married to Gracie Groat. [35]

McPherson's older brother Logan was also an all-state kicker for Fort Payne High School and went on to play as a punter for Louisiana Tech University. [36] His younger brother Alex made an All-State as a kicker with Fort Payne in 2019, and as a punter in 2020. [37] In 2021, Alex announced his commitment to attend Auburn University. [38] Alex was the highest-ranked kicker in the 2022 class. [39]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Vinatieri</span> American football player (born 1972)

Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 24 seasons with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Considered one of the greatest placekickers of all time, he is the NFL's all-time leading scorer at 2,673 points. He also holds the NFL records for field goals made (599), postseason points (238), and overtime field goals made (12).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Nugent</span> American football player (born 1982)

Michael Nugent is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for Ohio State University, and was twice recognized as a consensus All-American. He was selected by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft, and has also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Oakland Raiders, and New England Patriots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robbie Gould</span> American football player (born 1982)

Robert Paul Gould III is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker for 18 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions. Gould was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played with the Bears from 2005 to 2015, earning first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 2006, and became the franchise's all-time leading scorer. Gould also played for the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Rayner</span> American football player

Dave Rayner is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State. Rayner shares the NFL record for most teams played on with J. T. O'Sullivan, and Billy Cundiff; each has played for 11 teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zac Taylor</span> American football coach (born 1983)

Zachary William Taylor is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). Beginning his NFL career as an offensive assistant, Taylor was the quarterbacks coach for the Los Angeles Rams when they appeared in Super Bowl LIII. Taylor was named Cincinnati's head coach the following season in 2019, where he went 6–25–1 in his first two years. In 2021, Taylor led the Bengals to their first playoff win since 1990, ending the longest active drought in the four major North American sports, en route to an appearance in Super Bowl LVI. Taylor followed this up with 12 wins and a trip to the AFC Championship Game in 2022. During his time with the Bengals, Taylor has won five postseason games, matching the franchise win total prior to his hiring as head coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mason Crosby</span> American football player (born 1984)

Mason Walker Crosby is an American football placekicker who is a free agent. He played college football at Colorado, and earned unanimous All-American honors. The Green Bay Packers selected him in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft.

Horst Herbert Erich Mühlmann was a professional footballer and American football player. He was a placekicker in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs (1969), the Cincinnati Bengals (1969–1974) and the Philadelphia Eagles (1975–1977).

Darrin Simmons is an American football coach who is the assistant head coach and special teams coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He has coached for the Bengals since 2003. He previously had coaching stints in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers. He was a punter in college at the University of Kansas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Bullock</span> American football player (born 1989)

Randy Bullock is an American football placekicker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M, and was recognized as the nation's best college football kicker and a consensus All-American. He was selected by the Houston Texans in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, after winning college football's Lou Groza Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Tucker</span> American football player (born 1989)

Justin Paul Tucker is an American football placekicker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Texas and was signed by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2012. Regarded as one of the greatest placekickers of all time, Tucker is the most accurate kicker in NFL history at 90.2 percent and holds the record for the longest successful NFL field goal at 66 yards. Tucker has also been named to seven Pro Bowls and five first-team All-Pros, and was a member of the team that won Super Bowl XLVII.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Boswell</span> American football player (born 1991)

Christopher Lynn Boswell is an American football placekicker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Rice and was signed by the Houston Texans in 2014 as an undrafted free agent and has also spent time with the New York Giants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Elliott</span> American football player (born 1995)

Jake Daniel Elliott, nicknamed Jake "The Make" for his kicking ability, is an American football placekicker for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Memphis. He was part of the Eagles' Super Bowl LII championship team against the New England Patriots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl LVI</span> 2022 National Football League championship game

Super Bowl LVI was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2021 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Los Angeles Rams defeated the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Cincinnati Bengals, 23–20. The game was played on February 13, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, the home stadium of the Rams, the second consecutive and second overall Super Bowl with a team playing and winning in its home stadium. Currently, this is the latest date for a Super Bowl during the calendar year.

The Bengals–Ravens rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens. The rivalry began in 1996 when the Ravens were created after the Cleveland Browns, with whom the Bengals also share a rivalry, moved to Baltimore. The rivalry gained intensity in 2003 as the Bengals hired longtime Ravens defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis as head coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logan Wilson</span> American football player (born 1996)

Logan Wilson is an American football linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Wyoming and was selected by the Bengals in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler Bass</span> American football player (born 1997)

Tyler Royce Bass is an American football placekicker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia Southern and was selected by the Bills in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

The National Football League playoffs for the 2021 season was the first time that the league featured a 17-game regular season schedule, and consequently the start of the playoffs was pushed a week later to January 15, 2022. The postseason concluded with Super Bowl LVI on February 13 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California with the NFC's fourth seed, the Los Angeles Rams, defeating the AFC's fourth seed, the Cincinnati Bengals. The Cincinnati Bengals won their first playoff game since 1990 by defeating the Las Vegas Raiders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Cincinnati Bengals season</span> 55th season in franchise history

The 2022 season was the Cincinnati Bengals' 53rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 55th overall, and their fourth under head coach Zac Taylor. After an 0–2 start, the Bengals quickly turned around, winning 12 out of their last 14 games to match their franchise best record of 12–4. The Bengals improved upon their 10–7 record from the previous season and clinched the AFC North title for the second straight year. Cincinnati's Week 17 game against Buffalo was declared a no-contest after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest, resulting in only 16 games played. Despite the incident, they won the AFC North and won their last game to finish 12–4, tied for the best record in the history of the franchise, but they couldn’t clinch the 1 seed in the AFC as a result of the cancellation and risk losing home advantage if they lose their last game and coin toss to the Baltimore Ravens. Instead, they defeated Baltimore 27–16 to avoid that dreaded situation.

The National Football League playoffs for the 2022 season began on January 14, 2023, and concluded with Super Bowl LVII on February 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona where the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Cincinnati Bengals season</span> 56th season in franchise history

The 2023 season was the Cincinnati Bengals' 54th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 56th overall and their fifth under head coach Zac Taylor. The Bengals failed to improve upon their 12–4 record from 2022 after a 34–20 week 11 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. With a Week 17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Bengals were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2020.

References

  1. ↑ "Evan McPherson Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  2. ↑ Patra, Kevin (May 1, 2021). "Bengals take 2021 draft's lone kicker with fifth-round pick of Evan McPherson". NFL.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  3. ↑ Goldsmith, Charlie (May 1, 2021). "Florida's Evan McPherson is first kicker taken in 2021 NFL draft, going to Bengals in fifth round". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Goodall, Zach (March 13, 2021). "Former Gators Kicker Evan McPherson Drawing Plenty of NFL Interest". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  5. ↑ Owens, Jason (February 13, 2022). "Super Bowl: Evan McPherson dances to Dr. Dre before calmly tying Adam Vinatieri FG record". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  6. ↑ DeLetter, Emily (January 25, 2022). "How did Evan McPherson get his 'Shooter McPherson' nickname? Thank Clark Harris and 'Happy Gilmore' for that". Cincinnati Enquirer . Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  7. ↑ Rice, Jake (January 23, 2022). "Playoff Quote Board: Money Mac; D Was The Key; The Right Mentality". Bengals.com. Cincinnati Bengals . Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Evan McPherson - Football". Florida Gators. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  9. ↑ Thompson, Edgar (January 5, 2021). "UF kicker Evan McPherson leaves Gators, declares for NFL draft". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  10. ↑ Minich, Matt (May 1, 2021). "Analyzing the Bengals' selection of Evan McPherson in Round 5". Cincy Jungle. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Florida Gators College Football History, Stats, Records". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Field Goal Percentage Career Leaders and Records". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Evan McPherson Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Evan McPherson, Florida, K, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  15. ↑ LaPlaca, Michael (May 1, 2021). "In Round 5, Bengals Shore Up Kicking Game With Evan McPherson". Bengals.com. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  16. ↑ Ortenberg, Andrew (May 17, 2021). "NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/17/21". Pro Football Rumors. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Evan McPherson Wins starting job in Cincinnati - Fantasy Football News". Fantasy Footballers Podcast. August 31, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  18. ↑ Goldsmith, Charlie (September 18, 2021). "Bengals Xtra: What kicker Evan McPherson means to Fort Payne, Alabama". The Enquirer. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  19. ↑ Cincinnati Bengals [@Bengals] (September 12, 2021). "Evan McPherson's first career field goal attempt is good from 53" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021– via Twitter.
  20. ↑ Gordon, Grant (September 15, 2021). "Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, Rams QB Matthew Stafford lead Players of the Week". NFL.com. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  21. ↑ Beighle, Nathan (November 22, 2021). "Bengals kicker Evan McPherson makes history vs. Raiders". Cincy Jungle. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  22. ↑ "NFL Players of the Week". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  23. ↑ Clark, Dave (November 21, 2021). "Evan McPherson breaks Bengals' franchise record for field goals of 50+ in one season". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  24. ↑ Patra, Kevin (January 22, 2022). "2021 NFL playoffs: What we learned from Bengals' win over Titans in Divisional Round". NFL.com. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  25. ↑ Zucker, Joseph (January 30, 2022). "Joe Burrow, Bengals Stun Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs in OT, Advance to 2022 Super Bowl". Bleacher Report. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  26. ↑ "Super Bowl LVI - Los Angeles Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals - February 13th, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  27. 1 2 Kerr, Jeff (January 30, 2022). "Evan McPherson sends Bengals to Super Bowl: Rookie has most FGs in single playoffs without miss in NFL history". CBSSports.com. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  28. ↑ Rapien, James (September 11, 2022). "Watch: Evan McPherson Sets Bengals Record, Makes 59-Yard Field Goal Against Steelers". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  29. ↑ Jacobs, Melissa (September 12, 2022). "The Bengals' wild loss showed why long snappers, the NFL's invisible men, matter". TheGuardian.com . Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  30. ↑ Gordon, Grant (October 5, 2022). "Seahawks QB Geno Smith, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes among Players of the Week". NFL.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Cincinnati Bengals at New Orleans Saints - October 16th, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Evan McPherson 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Evan McPherson Playoffs Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  34. ↑ Claybourn, Cole (January 23, 2022). "Bengals kicker Evan McPherson sports 'God is good' shirt after game-winning kick over Titans". Sports Spectrum. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  35. ↑ "evan_mcpherson04". Instagram. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  36. ↑ Kassim, Ehsan (February 11, 2022). "Evan McPherson was clutch long before kicking Cincinnati Bengals to Super Bowl. Alabama town is proud of its hero". The Gadsden Times. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  37. ↑ Inabinett, Mark (May 17, 2021). "Fort Payne's Evan McPherson wants to be 1 of the 32". AL.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  38. ↑ "Top Ranked Kicker Alex McPherson Commits to Auburn!". College and Magnolia. July 6, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  39. ↑ "2022 Top Kicker Recruits". 247Sports. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.