No. 3, 1 | |||||||
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Position: | Placekicker | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Salem, Ohio, U.S. | May 23, 1959||||||
Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 180 lb (82 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Salem | ||||||
College: | Cincinnati | ||||||
Undrafted: | 1981 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Player stats at PFR |
Richard John Karlis (born May 23, 1959) is a former American football placekicker who played nine seasons for the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit Lions in the National Football League (NFL) from 1982 to 1990. He played college football at the University of Cincinnati and is known as the last of the field goal kickers who kicked barefoot full-time in the NFL. [1]
Karlis is best known for kicking the game-winning field goal in overtime for Denver against the Cleveland Browns in the 1986 AFC Championship Game to reach Super Bowl XXI. He had an uneven performance in Super Bowl XXI, tying a Super Bowl record with a 48-yard field goal, while missing a 23-yard attempt, the shortest missed field goal in Super Bowl history at that time.
In 1989, as a member of the Vikings, he tied a then NFL record by kicking seven field goals in a 23–21 win against the Los Angeles Rams, a record which stood until 2007 when Rob Bironas of the Tennessee Titans broke the record with eight field goals in a game against the Houston Texans.
Karlis made 172 field goals and 283 extra point attempts for 799 points in his career and also holds Super Bowl records for most field goal attempts with six, making three of them and other records including most consecutive field goals made as a rookie with thirteen in 1982.
Karlis is the creator of an instructional video for kickers. [2]
Career high/best bold
Season | Team | G | FGM | FGA | % | LNG | XPM | XPA | % | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1982 | DEN | 9 | 11 | 13 | 84.6 | 47 | 15 | 16 | 93.8 | 48 |
1983 | DEN | 16 | 21 | 25 | 84.0 | 50 | 33 | 34 | 97.1 | 96 |
1984 | DEN | 16 | 21 | 28 | 75.0 | 50 | 38 | 41 | 92.7 | 101 |
1985 | DEN | 16 | 23 | 38 | 60.5 | 48 | 41 | 44 | 93.2 | 110 |
1986 | DEN | 16 | 20 | 28 | 71.4 | 51 | 44 | 45 | 97.8 | 104 |
1987 | DEN | 12 | 18 | 25 | 72.0 | 51 | 37 | 37 | 100.0 | 91 |
1988 | DEN | 16 | 23 | 36 | 63.9 | 51 | 36 | 37 | 97.3 | 105 |
1989 | MIN | 13 | 31 | 39 | 79.5 | 51 | 27 | 28 | 96.4 | 120 |
1990 | DET | 6 | 4 | 7 | 57.1 | 39 | 12 | 12 | 100.0 | 24 |
Career | 120 | 172 | 239 | 72.0 | 51 | 283 | 294 | 96.3 | 799 |
Super Bowl XXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1986 season. It was the 21st Super Bowl and was played on January 25, 1987, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Giants defeated the Broncos, 39–20, for their first Super Bowl and first NFL title since 1956. It was the first of consecutive Super Bowl losses for the Broncos, who lost the Super Bowl a year later 42–10 to the Washington Redskins.
Super Bowl XXII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins and American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1987 season. The Redskins defeated the Broncos by the score of 42–10, winning their second Super Bowl. The game was played on January 31, 1988, at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California, which was the first time that the Super Bowl was played there. It was the second consecutive Super Bowl loss for the Broncos, who had lost to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl the year before.
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