While Stenerud remains anguished and unreasonably stigmatized in some circles by a miserable day in 1971, its time to help him let that go by commemorating his improbable story a half-century after it began here. Jan was the most accurate kicker in all of pro football from '80 to '84; hemade 82% of this field goals. But the Chiefs had been paying attention. The Kansas City Chiefs have just concluded their 59th season as a professional football franchise. The first Norwegian NFL player, he began his career in the AFL after being selected by the Chiefs during the . You think that didn't help? But I got rid of that one this year. Dustin is like a kicker whisperer, Toub told the media after Butkers first game. In October he kicked a 59-yard field goal against Montana, the longest kick in football history to that point. A lot of things happened to me that I had no control over. Independence is one of their greatest strengths, but sometimes they're overly frank with others. Inducted: 1991. Thats how the scouts from around the league heard about me, Jan said. He knows all the finer points to kicking.. well your foot will feel like you nailed a cinder block. By David Eulitt Fifty years ago this. He also worked as a commentator for Scandinavian TV channel TV3's Super Bowl Sunday coverage in the 1990s, and still maintains strong ties with his native Norway. He can, he says,. The site navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. He made five field goals twice against Buffalo the year we won the Super Bowl. Jan Stenerud's age is 80. The Chiefs were the final AFL champions in 1969, and they met the NFL Champion Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV in New Orleans. I found that with regular spikes I couldn't kick a thingthey kept catching in the turf. Fred Arbanas, the Kansas City tight end, had been watching. He was such a transformative presence as to become a factor in rules changes and led a wave that ultimately rendered obsolete the traditional straight-on kickers, a fact underscored by the 1.2 million patented tees and instructional books sold in his name. Lawrence Tynes had the job from 2004 through 2006 but was traded to the New York Giants in 2007. Stenerud shrugged, boomed two through from the 40-yard line. Whos the richest Football Player in the world. He made his very first field goal inhis first attempt, a 54-yarder against Houston in 1967. Today with these memories and this honor, I got the same feeling, the feeling that my feet are now touching the ground. He had me work from there, and now it's just like kicking from the middle or the left. Though ineligible for football competition that season, Sweeney encouraged Stenerud to suit up with the team for the final home game of 1964, to help him better understand the unfamiliar American game. Kansas City, MO 10/8/1967 CREDIT: Rich Clarkson Football: Super Bowl IV, Kansas City Chiefs Jan Stenerud and QB Len Dawson in action vs Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans, LA 1/11/1970 Jan recalls what went through his mind when Sweeney invited him to join the 1964 team on the Montana State sidelines: This is America. He scored 100 or more points in seven different seasons. Team Stats. He doesn't jump off 90-meter hills, either. See our ethics statement. Jan Stenerud Autographed Signed 8X10 Photo Packers Kicking Fg JSA WIN. Jan Stenerud (born November 26, 1942) is a former professional football player for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs (1967-1969), and the NFL's Chiefs (1970-1979), Green Bay Packers (1980-1983), and Minnesota Vikings (1984-1985). Tommy O'Boyle, our Director of Player Personnel, and I went to the game and watched him kick the opening kickoff through the uprights and eight rows into the bleachers. He is the first pure placekicker to be inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After awhile they asked me to try. He was a seven-time All-Pro and won Super Bowl IV as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. Your request appears similar to malicious requests sent by robots. She's still explaining the game to me.". Heard you can kick!. And it. He went on to help us become one of the winningest teams in the National Football League with two divisional championships, three playoffs and a Super Bowl win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. But Stenerud made the most of those opportunities. What do you want me to do?" I wasn't really familiar with the game, but I guess I did OKbecause Coach Sweeney tried to convince me to go out for spring football the next year, which I did. MSU students arrived at Gatton Field early to watch Stenerud kick on warmups. An athlete who excelled in track and field, soccer. Jan, thanks very much for the honor of permitting me to present you here today and have you joinour other great players and Lamar Hunt in the National Football League Hall of Fame:Bobby Bell, Lenny Dawson, Buck Buchanan, Willie Lanier. Few games were played in domes, and there was scant specialized coaching or equipment taken for granted today. His range stoked interest around the nation, and the Chiefs notified Stenerud by telegram that they had selected him in the 1965 AFL Redshirt Draft future dibs since he had a year of eligibility left. NFL placekicker who became the first pure placekicker to earn an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Jan wasnt eligible to play, but he did dress, stand on the sidelines and absorb the aura of college football in front of several thousand passionate fans. Once more details are available on who he is dating, we will update this section. The whole time, Im thinking, Im ready for this. But on Sunday, Butker and his wife Isabelle informed the world about another chapter in it: the birth of their son James Augustine Butker. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). That year he made 21 of 26 field goal attempts and knocked through all 52 of his extra point attempts as Lynn Dickey, James Lofton, and the rest of the Packers offense rolled up touchdown after touchdown. Passing, Rushing, & Receiving Table . If you are using a VPN, try disabling it. But Stenerud set another college record which should stand forever: a 113-yard field goal try. Jan is alive and kicking and is currently 80 years old. He kicked with his toe like [50 Greatest Vikings member] Fred Cox," Stenerud explained. He never missed a game because of injury or illness. My dad, who passed away two years ago, always had ambitious dreams and goals, while my mother had always been a realist. How much help can you give a guy like that? I was drafted by Kansas City at the right time. While we don't know Jan Stenerud birth time, but we do know his mother gave birth to his on a Thursday. So on a blustery day with the punter struggling, Sweeney sent out the field goal unit to get the ball downfield from out of its own end zone. If there are qualitiesI have inherited from both of themis the stability and determination. "If we don't sign this kid right now," said Arbanas, "we'll be making the biggest mistake of our lives." Jan Stenerud is part of the Silent Generation, which followed after the G.I. Not so, he says. Kansas Citys star quarterback shattered a record no one thought could be broken. He was humble and appreciative, and when he signed his contract and received his bonus, he said, "You know, this is more money than my dad made in this lifetime. The Chiefs retired Stenerud's jersey number 3 in his honor. Gary Richards and Terry Albrecht came all the way out from the great state of Montana to share this day with me, I appreciate it, guys, very much. Robert Holmes 3 yard rush (Jan Stenerud kick) 3: 7: 2: Chiefs: Jan Stenerud 52 yard field goal : 3: 10: Chiefs: Jan Stenerud 8 yard field goal : 3: 13: 3: Bills: Bruce Alford 34 yard field goal : 6: 13: . If your browser is out of date, try updating it. But the most glaring and, thus, lingering elements were three field goals that Stenerud didnt make, something that over the years he has alternately attempted to joke about, expressed incredible pain over or declined comment on. Butker is now well-established as the Chiefs placekicker, and its wouldnt be a stretch to think the Chiefs will do their best to hang on to him when his rookie contract expires in 2021. If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. ", "How's that?" "The wind had been blowing hard all day and our punter was having trouble getting the ball back to the line of scrimmage. You can also find out who is Jan Stenerud dating now and celebrity dating histories at CelebsCouples. The coach thought I'd do better with my style of kicking. As of 2017, only four kickers have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame: George Blanda, Lou Groza, Jan Stenerud and Morten Andersen, and among them, Stenerud and Andersen are the only ones who did not also play another position. The sentences, yelled by Montana State football coach Jim Sweeney Hey, skier, get down here! He was released immediately. The ball curved upward at about 90 m.p.h. After living in Colorado working in business development for HNTB Architecture, he and his wife, Patty, returned a few years ago, and its been a remarkable life even if he dwells more than anyone ought to on one dark moment. His name was Jim Sweeney. Why barefoot kicking went away is because the rise of the NFL as a big money sport finally created a market for shoe companies to create an athletic shoe designed for kickers. Chinese Zodiac: Jan Stenerud was born in the Year of the Rabbit. "I was standing three feet deep in my own end zone," he said, his mouth curving into a small boy's grin. In his postgame press conference, he took a cue from Butkers Twitter handle @buttkicker7, and referred to him as Buttkicker-dot-com.. The Chiefs had 79-year-old Pro Football Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud out at practice on Thursday. . Whos the richest Football Player in the world? How tall was Jan Stenerud? Its not an exaggeration to say he was one of the leagues most accurate kickers during that time period. They had great players when I got there. This and his excellent academics explain how Stenerud came to be offered a skiing scholarship to Montana State and why his parents insisted he accept it, particularly because they could not afford higher education in Norway at the time. I kicked off five times and two of them went through the goal post and that was from the 40-yard line in those days -- 70 yards to the goal post. Back then, a field goal that fell short was merely considered a live ball. When you get off that ramp and you fly through the air for a moment, you feel as though you have conquered the world as you are soaring high above the ground. And while that may be true, Steneruds story might be worth bringing him through our hypothetical time portal. Chiefs can find defensive line value on Day 2. But he came into the NFL with a statistical oddity: at Tech, he had been more accurate at long distances than medium distances. People born under this sign are seen as warm-hearted and easygoing. Super Bowl IV and some of the great coaching with Hank Stram, of course, who won the Coach of the Year title four times. He told Sweeney, Youve got to take a look at this Norwegian skier out there. Stenerud joined the Kansas City Chiefs in 1967, and in his first three seasons he made 70% of his field-goal tries, while the other kickers in the NFL and AFL combined for 53%. And though its hardly the headline in the overall scope of a wild game, Stenerud did kick the game-winner in the Packers 48-47 Monday Night Football romp with the Washington Redskins that year. Most positions require skill, strength, speed, intelligence and mental toughness. The other 42 field goals21 as a rookie last seasonhave been for the Chiefs, who surprised their rivals by drafting Stenerud as a future early in 1966. Jan stayed in college and was a key member of a Bobcats team that won the 1966 Big Sky Conference title. although your skin will start to sting and get irritated after 10 or so kicks. Jan Stenerud on the Kansas City bench on Jan. 1, 1976. And painfulhe was wearing tennis shoes. The 40s also brought us the Slinky, Velcro, Jeep, Tupperware and Frisbee. Still Salvy after all these years: Stolen base symbolizes Sal Perezs endless energy, Jackson Mahomes accused of assault by Overland Park restaurant owner and waiter, Is Travis Kelce Chiefs most eligible bachelor? [8] The Dolphins won 2724 in double overtime on a 37-yard field goal by Garo Yepremian. Majority of Jans money comes from being a football player. Jan Stenerud was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991. So he snapped it to a surprised Dawson, and the out-of-rhythm Stenerud tried to adjust but missed. And nowadays teams have so much invested in their players, kickers and punters included, that kicking a ball barefoot poses an undue risk for a potentially season-ending toe injury, to say nothing of the idea that the opposing team always seems to fight their way to the kicker these days. He isKansas City's record-holder in career points. Sign up for the But after Lowery left the team, the word consistency hasnt generally been associated with Chiefs placekickers. He'll show you how to put it on. His list of outstanding achievements is long. There also are a couple of other people I would like to acknowledge that were teammates at Montana State. One of the field goals was blocked, for instance. [3][5] In 2013, Stenerud recalled that he had a significant tail-wind aiding him on that kick in Bozeman; the ensuing kick-off went over the end-zone bleachers at Gatton Field,[4] whose elevation exceeded 4,900 feet (1,495m) above sea level. He was enjoying life in America immensely, fascinated by all things unfamiliar, including a peculiar sport played with an oval ball (as he put it). Hall of Fame kicker Jan Stenerud was reliable and productive in Green Bay, Friday NFL Scouting Combine Review: WR/TE interviews, DB workouts, 4 receivers to look out for in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Dynamic slot receivers will be available in the middle of the first round, he said in an interview with Monday Night Football in 2000, Packers WR Randall Cobb has ankle surgery ahead of free agency, Thursday NFL Scouting Combine Review: DB interviews, DL/LB workouts, Panthers have called Packers about possible Aaron Rodgers trade, per report, 3 top defensive back prospects have formal meetings with Packers at NFL Combine. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. NOW: So I'm talkin' to Jan Stenerud, the Hall of Fame kicker, . Jan Steneruds mothers name is unknown at this time and his fathers name is under review. In a game better known for Stram being miked and 65 Toss Power Trap and Len Dawson being chosen MVP and dominant defense, Eller would later say Stenerud psyched us out. Stenerud was one of the first professional football players to be used as a dedicated kicker, because of his excellent "sharpshooting" ball-kicking performance. Hes kicking distances I havent seen before, Jan recalled in an interview. free shipping Jan Stenerud Autographed Signed Auto Official Wilson NFL Football W/HOF 91 JSA WIN. The strengths of this sign are being generous, idealistic, sense of humor, while weaknesses can be to promise more than can deliver, impatient and say anything no matter how undiplomatic. Ruling Planet: Jan Stenerud has a ruling planet of Jupiter and has a ruling planet of Jupiter and by astrological associations Thursday is ruled by Jupiter. Stenerud had played soccer as a youth in Norway, and his right leg's prowess was observed by basketball head coach Roger Craft, while he walked to the nearby Fieldhouse. He is best known for being a Football Player. Against archrival Montana, he boomed a 59-yarder, shattering the NCAA record, in a 24-7 win. Does all that add up to a player worth swapping for Mason Crosby? I'm sure no one in the stands actually thought I'd make it. Late in my career, in 1980 when everybody else in the league thought I was washed up, Bart Starr, the great player and then the coach for the Green Bay Packers, took a chance on me, and that paved the way for six more years for me in the league. Please make sure JavaScript is enabled and then try loading this page again. Enshrined in 1991, Stenerud, along with George Blanda, Lou Groza, Ray Guy, and 2017 inductee Morten Andersen, is one of only five kicking specialists in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and is one of three who did not play another position (Blanda played quarterback, Groza was a tackle). The reasons some kickers preferred a barefoot kick were twofold: kickers believed they could control their kicks better with their feet than they could wearing kicking cleats of the time period. If the opportunity knocks, who knows what could happen?. "What do you call that?" Jans path to pro football falls into the only in America category of strange-but-true stories. ", "It was kind of silly, really," remembers Stenerud, now the Kansas City Chiefs' field goal specialist. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991. He speaks that language. Courtesy of BuckysBadgers, one name jumped out at me: Jan Stenerud. As I became more and more familiar for this great game, I learned to appreciate the skills necessary to play the various positions. Jan Stenerud flew off a ski jump in Norway and landed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. General 73 SPD 77 ACC 64 AGI Kicking 99 KPW 93 KAC Fake 37 SAC 33 MAC 38 THP 23 RUN Everyone in the Hall of Fame was a great player, but only a few were the very best ever at their position. A junior ski jump champion in his native Norway, Jan was recruited to Bozeman and already had earned all-conference and All-American honors as a member of the universitys ski team. Now, he hates to admit it, but he is a 3-handicapgolfer. As the Montana State Bobcats practiced for their final home football game in 1964, Jan Stenerud was going through his own fall routine: conditioning his legs for the upcoming ski season by running the stadiums steps. His excellence on the ski slopes in Bozeman, MT helped him earn All-American honors in the mid-1960s. He was a consensus All-America selection. "No sense complicating this game. On this day, Jan heard 10 words that changed not only the trajectory of his life but also the record books in college football and in two professional football leagues in the decades that followed. In 1981, when he was with the Green Bay Packers, he made 22 of 24 field goals, a league record of 91% -- 91.7 -- and he had an impact also on the Hall of Fame because he was the very first specialist to enter Pro Football's Hall of Fame. [Football] is so important to the people of the community and the people of the state. Kemp will join new Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy in the nations capital. I always felt if I had two bad games in a row, I would be unemployed. Butker had been raised in an environment where such things mattered. I didn't even know what a field goal was. Its a perfect example of why you should never try and stash a good kicker on your NFL practice squad. But for the Panthers, thats all spilt milk. And it came while Stenerud was running on the school track. During a game, Stenerud gives in to assorted superstitions. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. The Norwegian kicked for the Chiefs, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings in a 19-year football career, culminating in becoming the first dedicated kicker inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991. Though it wasnt his best in terms of accuracy, Steneruds 1983 season might have been his finest in Green Bay. The site navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. ", "Plenty," Stenerud said later. While his field-goal percentage of 66.8 (373 of 558) might seem pedestrian today, he was a revelation in the context of the times. But from virtually the time he made his first attempt with the Chiefs (from 54 yards away) to stints with the Packers and Vikings before the end of his career in 1985, Stenerud was the best kicker in the game. In 1994, he was selected to the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team. As a high-school youngster in Norway, before accepting the ski-jumping scholarship to Montana State, he had been listed as one of the country's most promising young soccer players. It was supposed to be a fake, with the ball snapped directly to Stenerud. He quickly noticed that he booted it farther than the team's kicker. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. I dont know anything about this new kicker, said Arrowhead Prides Joel Thorman when the move was announced, but presumably special teams coach Dave Toub signed off on it. Stenerud kicked away the doubts until the age of 42, when a bad back forced him to retire after booting a league record 373 field goals. Jan Stenerud was selected to the Pro Bowl six times. "I was out with some of the other skiers, getting my legs in shape for the season. The street where he grew up, in the municipality Fetsund, was renamed in his honor. I decided right then that he was the coach I wanted to play for, that he was a man who could help me.". He really impressed me. "You can forget that," says Stram. As a halfback at Purdue, Stram kicked a 22-yard field goal to beat Pitt 10-7 in 1946. Jan holds the record for career field goals, 373. CHIEFS WIN!! This is the land of opportunity, Stenerud remembered thinking. His three field goals of 48, 32 and25 yards against the Vikings gave us a 9-0 lead, and his 48-yard kick had a stunning effect on Minnesota. ", "Sure it helped," said Stram, grinning. Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels. Jan Stenerud kicks a field goal in the second quarter of Super Bowl IV against the Vikings in 1970. . Since, Stenerud has kicked four against New York, two against Denver, two against Miami, four against Buffalo, two against Cincinnati, one against Oakland and two against San Diego. Its a special experience. There are two people here today that are great kickers as well as outstanding football players: George Blanda and Lou Graza. Thats what you do when The ButtKicker finally finds his way to your team. As a placekicker at Tech, Butker will be long remembered for two field goals in 2014 one in the last second against Virginia Tech to win the game, and a 53-yarder against Georgia that sent the game into overtime along with another in the final minute of the 2015 game against Florida State. Weeks after his collegiate debut in 1965, Stenerud kicked a then-NCAA record 59-yard field goal also 3 yards longer than the then-NFL record. He influenced the Rules Committee to change the field goal and kickoff rules in 1974, his seventh year in the league. The discovery that the star ski jumper (three-time Big Sky champion) was a super football kicker was made, naturally enough, by Montana State's basketball coach, Roger Craft. I talked about some of the luck involved. People of this zodiac sign like freedom, travel, philosophy, being outdoors and dislike clingy people, constrained, off-the-wall theories. Stenerud loved soccer as a child, and played it well, but he was baffled by football and its odd pace. It all recalls the nickname Andy Reid gave him after his first game as a Chief. Salvador Perezs home run on Thursday was overshadowed by a rare stolen base, which was improbable testimony to what he really means to the Royals. He attended Montana State on a ski jumping scholarship (and was an All-American in 1964), but later was. It is undeniable that a kicker's position is isolated and that the skills that are necessary to become an outstanding kicker are different from those skills required to play most other positions. The Kansas City Chiefs were so impressed they selected Stenerud in the third round of the AFL's 1966 Future Draft. The season prior to the AFLNFL merger, he also helped the Chiefs win their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl IV. said Hank Stram, the Chiefs' burly little coach. ", Former ski jumper Jan Stenerud of the Kansas City Chiefs has become the best field-goal kicker in a sport he hardly understands, 2023 ABG-SI LLC. For 27 of those seasons from 1967 through 1993 the Chiefs had only two placekickers: Jan Stenerud and Nick Lowery. Website design & development by americaneagle.com copyright 2021 Pro Football hall of fame all rights reserved, Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic.