No. 5, 10 | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Placekicker | ||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||
Born: | Keller, Texas, U.S. | May 16, 1986||||||||||
Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||||||||
Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||
High school: | Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas) | ||||||||||
College: | Oklahoma (2004–2007) | ||||||||||
Undrafted: | 2008 | ||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Garrett Hartley (born May 16, 1986) is a former American football placekicker. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008. Later that year he became the placekicker for the New Orleans Saints, for whom he set an NFL record (now surpassed) for most consecutive successful field goals to start a career, and then became the first kicker in NFL history to convert three field goals of more than 40 yards in the Super Bowl. His Saints won Super Bowl XLIV, beating the Indianapolis Colts. He played college football at Oklahoma.
Hartley has also played for the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Hartley prepped at Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas, where he was coached by former North Texas coach Todd Dodge. [1] [2] He set a state record with 90 extra points in 2002 (surpassed by Carroll Dragon, Kevin Ortega, in 2004 and then another Carroll Dragon, Cade Foster, in 2009). Coming out of Carroll, Hartley was rated as a three-star prospect and the second-best placekicker in the country by Rivals.com. [3]
Hartley began his college career at Oklahoma in 2004. He spent most of his first season redshirted, but after inconsistent play from Trey Dicarlo, head coach Bob Stoops decided to pull Hartley's redshirt and start him. [4] [5] He only played in three games during his abbreviated first season and finished 1-for-1 on field goals and 12-for-12 on extra points with his only field goal coming in the 2005 BCS National Championship Game against USC. [6] Hartley struggled during his sophomore year, missing eight of his 22 field goal attempts [7] despite making two field goals from beyond 50 yards. [8] He went 37 of 38 in extra points attempts. [9]
Hartley broke out during his junior season going 19-for-20 in field goals and 49-for-50 in extra points. [10] Hartley's .950 field goal percentage was among the highest during the season [11] and earned him a nomination for the Lou Groza Award which goes to the nation's best placekicker. Hartley's only miss of the season came during a controversial loss to Oregon when a 44-yard kick was blocked after Hartley had already successfully made four field goals. [8] Hartley's senior season did not quite match the level of performance of the year before. He finished going 13-for-15 in field goals and 71-for-77 in extra points. [12]
Hartley was not drafted during the 2008 NFL draft but he signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos. [13] However, he was released on July 21 just before the start of training camp. [14]
Hartley was signed by the New Orleans Saints on October 29, 2008, to replace Taylor Mehlhaff, who was released. [15] He played in his first game on November 9, 2008, against the Atlanta Falcons. Hartley came out strong, booting 13 for 13 field goal attempts for the 2008 season. [16] He was expected to be the Saints starting kicker for the 2009 season. However, Hartley was given a 4-game suspension after testing positive for a banned stimulant, Adderall. [17]
Hartley remained inactive (while longtime Saints kicker John Carney handled the kicking duties) until the Saints' twelfth game of the season, against the Washington Redskins. Hartley then kicked four field goals, including the game winning kick in overtime that allowed the Saints to preserve their undefeated record. [18] He missed the first field goal of his professional career in this game, from 58 yards. He held the NFL record for most consecutive field goals made to start a career, with 16 until the record was broken in 2012 by Kai Forbath of the Washington Redskins. [19] On January 24, 2010, he made a 40-yard field goal in overtime against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship to send the New Orleans Saints to their first Super Bowl. [20] [21] He continued in Super Bowl XLIV, going 3-for-3 with field goals of 46, 44, and 47 yards in the 31–17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. [22] He became the first kicker in Super Bowl history to convert three field goals of 40 yards or more. [23]
The 2010 season began erratically for Hartley. He missed two field goal attempts in the Saints' Week 1 home win over the Minnesota Vikings. [24] He later made three field goals despite windy conditions in a Week 2 win on the road against the San Francisco 49ers. [25] In a Week 3 match with the Atlanta Falcons, he made a last-second field goal to send the game into overtime, but then missed a 29-yard field goal attempt in overtime that would have won the game. [26] In response, the Saints re-signed John Carney, [27] and Hartley was inactive for the next two games. With injuries mounting at other positions, however, the Saints decided not to continue carrying two kickers, cutting Carney and returning Hartley to his starting position. [28] In the 2010 season, Hartley converted all 40 extra point attempts and 20 of 25 field goal attempts in 14 games. [29]
Hartley missed the entire 2011 season after injuring his hip during a preseason game. [30] He was replaced by veteran John Kasay. [31] He returned as the Saints' kicker in 2012 and 2013 season, but struggled with intermittent bouts of inconsistency. In the 2012 season, he converted all 57 extra point attempts and 18 of 22 of field goal attempts. [32] After he missed two field goals against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, December 15, 2013, one of which was attempted from only 26 yards, [33] he was released by the Saints on December 17, 2013, and replaced by veteran kicker Shayne Graham the same day. [34] In the 2013 season, Hartley converted all 41 extra point attempts and 22 of 30 field goal attempts. [35]
On December 13, 2014, Hartley was signed by the Cleveland Browns to replace Billy Cundiff, who had injured his knee. [36] He was active as the Browns' placekicker for their next game, against Cincinnati, but he did not actually have an opportunity to play in the game, because the opening kickoff was handled by Browns punter Spencer Lanning and the Browns never had another kicking opportunity as they failed to score (or even to attempt a field goal) in a 30–0 loss. [37]
Hartley was waived by the Browns on March 11, 2015. [38]
On August 11, 2015, Hartley was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers to replace Shaun Suisham, who had torn his ACL. [39] On August 29, 2015, Hartley suffered a pulled hamstring during a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. [40]
On August 31, 2015, Hartley was placed on injured reserve. [41] On October 13, he was released by the Steelers. [42]
Hartley signed with the Seattle Dragons of the XFL on January 24, 2020. [43] He was waived on January 28 after failing to receive medical clearance, as he has an artificial disk in his neck and not a fusion. [44] [45] [46]
On September 3, 2021, it was announced that Hartley signed with the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League two days before their playoff semifinal game against the Frisco Fighters. [47]
In the United Bowl on September 12, Hartley kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime, securing the Pirates' 37–34 win over the Arizona Rattlers and winning them their first league title in franchise history. [48]
On January 17, 2022, Hartley was released by the Pirates. [49]
Morten Andersen, nicknamed "the Great Dane", is a Danish-American former professional football kicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 25 seasons, most notably with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. Following a career from 1982 to 2007, Andersen holds the NFL record for regular season games played at 382. He also ranks second in field goals (565) and points scored (2,544). In addition to his league accomplishments, he is the Saints all-time leading scorer at 1,318 points. Andersen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. Along with Jan Stenerud, he is one of only two exclusive kickers to receive the honor.
Michael Shayne Graham is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies. He made his professional debut in May 2000 with the Richmond Speed of the Arena Football League's now-defunct developmental league, AF2.
Douglas Robert Zachariah Brien is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 1994 NFL draft. Brien played in the NFL for seven teams: San Francisco New Orleans, Indianapolis, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, New York Jets, and Chicago. After retiring from the NFL, Brien co-founded the real estate investment firms Waypoint Homes and Mynd.
Martin Gramatica is an Argentine former player of American football who was a kicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Indianapolis Colts, the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats winning the Lou Groza Award and twice earning All-American honors. He was selected by the Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL draft.
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.
John David Kasay is an American former professional football player who was a kicker for 21 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL draft. Kasay left the Seahawks in 1995 to sign with the expansion Panthers, whom he was a member of for 16 seasons. He became the Panthers' all-time leading scorer, while also earning Pro Bowl honors during the 1996 season and making a Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Retiring after one season with the New Orleans Saints, Kasay was one of the last remaining active members of the inaugural Panthers team.
John Michael Carney is an American former professional football player who was a kicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 1987.
Robert Paul Gould III is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker for 18 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chicago Bears, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers. 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.
Shaun Christopher Suisham is a Canadian-born former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Bowling Green.
Matthew Phillip Prater is an American professional football placekicker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). Regarded as one of the best long distance kickers in NFL history, he held the NFL record for longest field goal from 2013 until 2021 and holds the NFL record for most 50+ yard field goals in a career, 80 as of 2023.
Nicholas Alexander Folk is an American professional football placekicker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arizona Wildcats, where he received first-team All-Pacific-10 honors, and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL draft. Folk was named to the 2008 Pro Bowl as a rookie with the Cowboys before playing his next seven seasons with the New York Jets and becoming the franchise's second-leading scorer. Following an unsuccessful stint on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Folk spent a year away from football before pursuing a comeback in 2019 with the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football (AAF). Folk returned to the NFL the same year as a member of the New England Patriots and led the league in scoring during the 2021 season. He joined the Titans in 2023.
Connor Thomas Barth is an American former professional football placekicker who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina and was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2008.
The 2009 season was the New Orleans Saints' 43rd in the National Football League (NFL), and as of the 2023 season's conclusion, the most successful in franchise history. The Saints recorded a franchise record 13 regular season victories an improvement on their 8–8 record and fourth-place finish in the NFC South from 2008, and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2006 en route to victory in Super Bowl XLIV.
Thomas James Morstead is an American professional football punter for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at SMU and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft. Morstead has also played for the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins.
Dustin Hopkins is an American professional 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.
Kai August Forbath is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, earning consensus All-American honors and winning the Lou Groza Award in 2009. He played in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams.
The 2010 season was the New Orleans Saints' 44th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 35th playing home games in the Louisiana Superdome. From 2009, the Saints were coming off their first Super Bowl-winning season and the most successful in franchise history, having begun undefeated for 13 consecutive games only to lose their three final regular season encounters to finish 13–3. The Saints also attempted to win the NFC South Division title for the third time in history, earn their first consecutive postseason berths since 1991, and successfully defend their conference and league championships. The Saints failed to improve on their 13–3 record, finishing 11–5 and qualifying for the playoffs as a wild card team. The Saints were eliminated in the first round by the Seattle Seahawks, who were the first team with a losing record (7–9) to qualify for the playoffs and/or win a division title in a full season. Sean Payton served his fifth year as head coach.
Justin Paul Tucker is an American professional football placekicker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2012. Often regarded as the greatest placekicker of all time, Tucker is the most accurate kicker in NFL history at 90.0 percent and holds the NFL record for longest field goal at 66 yards. He has also been named to seven Pro Bowls and five first-team All-Pros, and was a member of the Ravens team that won Super Bowl XLVII.
Jake Daniel Elliott, nicknamed Jake "the Make" for his kicking ability, is an American professional football placekicker for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Memphis Tigers. He was part of the Eagles' Super Bowl LII championship team against the New England Patriots.
Evan McPhersonmick-FEAR-suhn; is an American professional 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.