In American football, scoring can be achieved via touchdown (six points), a field goal (three points), a safety (two points), or by conversion try. After a touchdown is scored, a team will attempt a conversion try, often called the point after touchdown (PAT), for either one or two points. [2] The National Football League (NFL) did not begin keeping official records until the 1932 season. [3] In addition to the NFL scoring leaders, league record books recognize the scoring leaders of the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the NFL in 1970. [4] [5] For statistical purposes, a player is credited with points scored when they kick a field goal, cause a safety, convert a PAT, or score a touchdown. [6]
The single-season scoring record is held by LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers who, in 2006, scored 186 points and broke the 46-year-old record held by Paul Hornung. [7] [1] Three players, Gino Cappelletti, Don Hutson, and Stephen Gostkowski, have led the league a record five times each, all having done so in at least four consecutive seasons. [8] Hutson however is the only one to have led in five consecutive seasons. [9]
Symbol | Meaning |
---|---|
Leader | The player who recorded the most points in the NFL |
Position | The player's designated position |
Pts | The total number of points the player scored |
GP | The number of games played by a player during the season [A] |
† | Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame |
^ | Active player |
* | Set the single-season scoring record |
(#) | Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list |
Symbol | Meaning |
---|---|
Player | The player who recorded the most points in the AFL |
Position | The player's designated position |
Pts | The total number of points the player scored |
GP | The number of games played by a player during the season |
† | Pro Football Hall of Fame member |
* | Player set the single-season scoring record |
(#) | Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list |
Season | Player | Position | Pts | GP | Team | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1960 | Gene Mingo | Halfback | 123* | 14 | Denver Broncos | [14] [95] |
1961 | Gino Cappelletti | End | 147* | 14 | Boston Patriots | [14] [96] |
1962 | Gene Mingo (2) | Halfback | 137 | 14 | Denver Broncos | [14] [95] |
1963 | Gino Cappelletti (2) | End | 113 | 14 | Boston Patriots | [14] [96] |
1964 | Gino Cappelletti (3) | Flanker | 155* | 14 | Boston Patriots | [14] [96] |
1965 | Gino Cappelletti (4) | Flanker | 132 | 14 | Boston Patriots | [14] [96] |
1966 | Gino Cappelletti (5) | Flanker | 119 | 14 | Boston Patriots | [14] [96] |
1967 | George Blanda † | Quarterback | 116 | 14 | Oakland Raiders | [14] [97] |
1968 | Jim Turner | Kicker | 145 | 14 | New York Jets | [14] [98] |
1969 | Jim Turner (2) | Kicker | 129 | 14 | New York Jets | [14] [98] |
Count | Player | Seasons | Team(s) | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|
5 | Gino Cappelletti | 1961, 1963–1966 | Boston Patriots | [14] [96] |
Stephen Gostkowski | 2008, 2012 – 2015 | New England Patriots | [14] [80] | |
Don Hutson | 1940 – 1944 | Green Bay Packers | [14] [22] | |
3 | Dutch Clark | 1932, 1935, 1936 | Portsmouth Spartans (2) / Detroit Lions (1) | [14] [15] |
Pat Harder | 1947 – 1949 | Chicago Cardinals | [14] [26] | |
Paul Hornung | 1959 – 1961 | Green Bay Packers | [14] [36] |
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