[fetch instagram= display=posts show=2 ]. Up went the ball, up and away, through the two skinny poles called goalposts, out of sight. Its not an exaggeration to say he was one of the leagues most accurate kickers during that time period. He can, he says,. Height: 6-2; Weight: 187. We had the greatest players that anybody had ever seen on the football field. A reader suggestion gives us a great opportunity to reflect on Jan Steneruds brief but excellent run in Green Bay. Today my thoughts are with my parents. Then he was hit hard after kicking a field goal in the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Meet 2 women who tried to catch him, Super Bowl champ Chiefs players arent happy. Jan stayed in college and was a key member of a Bobcats team that won the 1966 Big Sky Conference title. Not so, he says. Member since Aug 2006. The White House was occupied by a B-movie actor, Hollywood seemed to want to make any cocaine-fueled idea for a movie that it could find, and football kickers were punting and scoring field goals in the dead of winter. At the time this story was made Jan Stenerud was still kicking for the team most people still associate him with: The Kansas City Chiefs. And in the meantime, some of my teammates at Montana State had informed me that they see a guy on television from the Buffalo Bills, Pete Gogolak, who had been kicking in the same style that I had displayed, and they also had convinced me to go out for the team. The first Norwegian NFL player, he began his career in the AFL after being selected by the Chiefs during the . If you are using a VPN, try disabling it. Hes kicking distances I havent seen before, Jan recalled in an interview. Tab will move on to the next part of the site rather than go through menu items. quote: However if you try to smash the ball on a 50 yarder. Thinking back to his time on the Panthers practice squad, Butker said he always had confidence he could succeed in the NFL. And with all of his accomplishments, recognition, statistics and records, the best thing about Jan is Jan the person. "I didn't have one thing to do with developing Stenerud as a kicker. After awhile they asked me to try. Having retired in 1985, Stenerud doesn't kick field goals any more. 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. Well, why not? He was elected in his first year of eligibility after a pro career in which he converted 373 out of 558 field goals (67%) and 580 out of 601 extra points (97%) for a total of 1,699 points scored. Various publications have their all-time teams and best-ever teams. "What do you call that?" We don't have much information about She's past relationship and any previous engaged. Stenerud represented a revolution. Jan Stenerud, who was born November 26, 1942, in Fetsund, Norway, was an outstanding ski jumper who attended Montana State on a skiing scholarship. I wasn't really sure if I had done OKor not. Jan Stenerud 25 yard field goal : 19: 22: Game Info. And he was not just a kicker, he was an athlete. He was a seven-time All-Pro and won Super Bowl IV . He had an impact on the record books. They were my view of a perfect combination. Stenerud is still the only pure kicker elected to the Hall of Fame, but this was to be the worst day of his 19-year NFL career. At Montana State I had a coach, I mentioned him earlier, but I need to recognize him more. Mark Moseley, who kicked four field goals, had a chance to . He was sincere, had great pride and dedication. This is the land of opportunity, Stenerud remembered thinking. 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. The diminutive Brazilian who barely spoke English, and learned most of what he knew about American football by playing Madden won the job. Hes one of just five kickers with a cumulative accuracy above 80% from 1980 to 1983, and he attempted by far the most kicks out of anyone on the list. Stenerud is distinguished as being the first . 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. He knows all the finer points to kicking.. $169.22. In 1967, Norwegian kicker Jan Stenerud was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs and began a journey that earned him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The first time I saw Jan, he was kicking 40-yard field goals like they were extra points in the preseason, pre-warm up game against Tulsa and Montana State in Tulsa, Okla.,in 1966. 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 I also want to tell the football fans and the football organization with the three teams that I played, Kansas City, Green Bay and Minnesota, a heartfelt thank you for your loyalty and support. ", 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. "But really," says Stenerud, "I had my mind made up five minutes after I talked to Stram. He had me work from there, and now it's just like kicking from the middle or the left. "Now that tall fellow over there is called a quarterback and those big fat fellows are tackles, and that chalk line you are standing on is called the 50-yard line and, say, why don't you set the ball down and try and kick it way down there through those two skinny poles, which are called goalposts?" 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). The basketball coach, of all people, walked across the field and he ran over to the football coach, Jim Sweeney, and informed him that a ski jumper was kicking the hell out of the ball out there. Kansas Citys star quarterback shattered a record no one thought could be broken. The site navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. He never changed. Heard you can kick!. We liked him coming out. Website design & development by americaneagle.com copyright 2021 Pro Football hall of fame all rights reserved, Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic. Jan was the most accurate kicker in all of pro football from '80 to '84; hemade 82% of this field goals. In his postgame press conference, he took a cue from Butkers Twitter handle @buttkicker7, and referred to him as Buttkicker-dot-com.. As I became more and more familiar for this great game, I learned to appreciate the skills necessary to play the various positions. The impromptu sessions continued, and one day the Bobcats basketball coach took notice. One autumn afternoon, my junior year in 1964, I did something that would dramatically change my life forever:I attempted to kick a football a couple of times. Jan Stenerud" Jan Stenerud" ( born November 26, 1942 ) is a former professional American 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 ) Stenerud came to the United States on a ski jumping scholarship to attend Montana State University . Hes a good kicker. 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, whose elevation exceeded 4,900 feet (1,495 . We are all very, very proud of you, Jan. Good luck and God bless. The Chiefs might run through a few, for instance, on a Friday afternoon. He didn't have a prima donna bone in his body. Late in his sophomore year, Stenerud was spotted kicking a football by the college's basketball coach, who relayed the news of the Norwegian's abilities to the football coach. Also, it can get really cold out there. He attended Montana State University on a ski jumping scholarship. The season prior to the AFLNFL merger, he also helped the Chiefs win their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl IV. He is the first pure placekicker to be inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The 18 successive seasons, a Super Bowl ring and the Hall of Fame-worthy resum all trace their history to one fateful day in the mountains. He was one of the first placekickers to use the "soccer style", a technique the Hungarian-born Pete Gogolak had recently introduced in the AFL. The basketball coach saw him kicking and alerted the football coach, Jim Sweeney, who gave Stenerud a tryout. And in the 2018 postseason, Butker was perfect including a 39-yard field goal with 11 seconds left that sent the AFC Championship into overtime. Gano due to the contract that former Chief kicker Ryan Succop had just negotiated with the Tennessee Titans scored a four-year, $17 million deal with the Panthers last spring, while the Chiefs still have Butker on an inexpensive deal for two more seasons. Though it wasnt his best in terms of accuracy, Steneruds 1983 season might have been his finest in Green Bay. Though hes most notable for his time with the Chiefs and also played for the Vikings (hey, nobodys perfect), Stenerud cites his time with the Packers as possibly the best and definitely the most unique. 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. 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. He made five field goals twice against Buffalo the year we won the Super Bowl. The 6-2, 187-pound Stenerud excelled for 19 seasons and 263 games in pro football. JUMP TO: Jan Steneruds biography, facts, family, personal life, zodiac, videos, net worth, and popularity. We will continue to update information on Jan Steneruds parents. We look forward to getting him in there and seeing how he does., That whole week was probably the strangest week of my life, he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Dustin is like a kicker whisperer, Toub told the media after Butkers first game. He retired after the 1985 season. Everyone in the Hall of Fame was a great player, but only a few were the very best ever at their position. Gambling problem? He won the AFL championship three times. Especially here in Kansas City, where he became a U.S. Citizen in 1976 with his two children walking alongside carrying little American flags, and has long been a gracious part of the community. In training camp, Butker had a tough battle against veteran kicker Graham Gano and ultimately the Panthers couldnt decide. The next year, though, he took college football by storm. There isn't a doubt in my mind that he's the greatest long-distance field-goal kicker who ever played the game. Perhaps this was what had kept the Panthers from committing to him. Please make sure JavaScript is enabled and then try loading this page again. said Jan Stenerud. He made his very first field goal inhis first attempt, a 54-yarder against Houston in 1967. Like snapping my helmet before a third-down play ends. . While he went undrafted in 1967, he signed with the Chiefs, and once he did, he transferred to a National Guard unit in Kansas City. Jan Steneruds age is 80. That day, he was cooling down from a workout by kicking a football with injured halfback Dale Jackson. Ten minutes later he was telling Sweeney. Now Coach Sweeney did not want to listen to, in Jim's own words, a goofy basketball coach, and a couple of weeks later, however, I was out there again and he summoned me down from the stands and he asked if I could kick off and showed me how to put the ball on the tee. Kansas City Chiefs Jan Stenerud in action, taking kick from QB Len Dawson vs Miami Dolphins. Those are very kinds words, and I appreciate them very much. 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%. 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. Now, he will simply call the day a horrible experience, one that he suffers more from because he believes its often referred to with little balance about his broader career. . ", "How's that?" Jan Stenerud is that body in motion, and I will elaborate on his impact with the Kansas City Chiefs, the American Football League and the National Football League, the record books and the Hall of Fame. 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. A lot of things happened to me that I had no control over. Something went wrong. Five of them are here today. May 20, 2012 11,113 12,747 113. You play to win, not merely prevail. The schools basketball coach noticed him booting the ball around the field, tipped off the football coaches, and the rest is history. "That was pretty darn good," Stenerud said. He speaks that language. But the Chiefs had been paying attention. Chiefs can find defensive line value on Day 2. The NFL Hall of Famer and Montana State legend's story of growing up a prodigious skier in Norway before transforming into the only kicker in Canton makes it seem like Stenerud has been living a dream all his life. On top of the list we put together, our readers suggested a few great names in the comments. Jan Stenerud kicks a field goal in the second quarter of Super Bowl IV against the Vikings in 1970. . To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Along with his 13 seasons in Kansas City, Stenerud was a member of the Green Bay Packers for four seasons and the Minnesota Vikings for two seasons until retiring in 1985. Eighteen of them were for Montana State, the most spectacular of which was a 59-yarder, an NCAA small college record later broken by Bill Shear of Cortland State. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991. Jan Stenerud, a native of Fetsund, Norway, took a crooked path to football immortality. He knows a lot more than I know. Jan Stenerud was born in 1940s. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. If that scene sounds absurd by todays standards imagine Andy Reid doing the same for Cairo Santos this was about more than Strams endless innovations and eccentricities. I can honestly say that if you havent played football in Green Bay and youve been in the NFL a long time, youve missed out on something special, he said in an interview with Monday Night Football in 2000. 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. 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. Stenerud was a six-time all-star (four NFL Pro Bowls and two AFL All-Star games) during his career, as well as a four-time first-team All-Pro in the NFL and a two-time first-team All-AFL. Jan is alive and kicking and is currently 80 years old. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. The Chiefs were the final AFL champions in 1969, and they met the NFL Champion Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV in New Orleans. She is not dating anyone. Called the bank shot just forgot to tell Colquitt. 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. He wasn't only one of the greatest quarterbacks of all times, he was my holder, of course, my first 19 years in the NFL, and he was very instrumental in my success. There are certain occasions in everybody's life that make you think about the people that influenced you the most and helped you. "Whenever the team got to the 50-yard line (the student section) would start yelling, 'Send in Jan!'" Stenerud said with a laugh. 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. The sentences, yelled by Montana State football coach Jim Sweeney Hey, skier, get down here! Nearly 30 years ago, I was recruited from Norway to Montana State on a ski scholarship. Jan Stenerud Net Worth Stats Stenerud kicked 18 of 33 field goals in two years at MSU. The New England Patriots kicker Tony Franklin even made a 59-yard field goal while completely shoeless. Is that dumb talk when youre 74 or 75?. The MSU basketball coach, Roger Craft, noticed Stenerud booming kicks straight and long toward the goal posts and told the football coach, Jim Sweeney, what he had seen. Stenerud loved soccer as a child, and played it well, but he was baffled by football and its odd pace. 4 tight end prospects for Chiefs fans to watch at the NFL Scouting Combine. Your request appears similar to malicious requests sent by robots. Let me close by going back to where it started: ski jumping. He was a consistent role model for his family, his university, pro football and the great fans of this country. He talks, and he knows exactly what went wrong when [the placekicker] misses. When I think of Jan, I think of impact, and impact defined is "an instantaneous stroke communicated through a body in motion." He finished the season without missing a single PAT, and made 90.5 percent of his field-goal attempts. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991 as the first exclusive placekicker to receive the honor. And Bart, I assume you are listening somewhere,I appreciate that very much. He was a consensus All-America selection. Soon, Stenerud was running steps during a football practice when he heard Sweeneys gruff voice: Skier, get your butt down here. In the Chiefs' upset victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV, Stenerud's three field goals, including a then-Super Bowl record 48-yarder, accounted for the first nine points. On Christmas Day 1971, the Chiefs hosted the Miami Dolphins in an AFC divisional playoff game. Even on a perfect day, one in which he shoots a 76 in a Pebble Beach Celebrity golf outing. 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? In his first four seasons with Kansas City, he made 72%of his field goals when the league average was 50%. He was hooked. Jan Stenerud, who was born November 26, 1942, in Fetsund, Norway, was an outstanding ski jumper who attended Montana State on a skiing scholarship. Please ignore . He attended Montana State on a ski jumping scholarship (and was an All-American in 1964), but later was. His father (also Harrison) favors the Georgia Bulldogs, and his mother Elizabeth is a Georgia Tech fan. During his first three years as professional, the last seasons for the AFL, Stenerud hit 70% of his field goals, compared with a 53% average for the other kickers in the AFL and NFL. "Here's another one: 92 out of 103. This page is updated often with new details about Jan Stenerud. I was confident because he was confident, Reid said. I felt ridiculous.". With tight ends set to work out on Saturday, here are a few players Kansas City fans should be watching. Jan Stenerud was born on the 26th of November, 1942. Jan Steneruds mothers name is unknown at this time and his fathers name is under review. When the Chiefs were playing the Miami Dolphins at the end of the 1966 season, they invited Stenerud to Miami for a tryout. The Chiefs lead their division with a 7-1 record and he leads the American League scoring race with 83 points. And look at this: 136 out of 153. And the third and the fourth. A Norweigan immigrant, Stenerud came to the United States on a ski jumping scholarship to Montana State. free shipping Jan Stenerud Autographed Signed Auto Official Wilson NFL Football W/HOF 91 JSA WIN. Then Sweeney put his arm around Stenerud and offered him a place on the team, a moment frozen in Steneruds mind. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. "Just because I dont do cartwheels when I make a game-winning field goal doesnt mean Im not extremely pleased.. 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. I'm sure no one in the stands actually thought I'd make it. In the season opener, Medlock missed a 30-yard field goal in the first drive. The Kansas City Chiefs selected him with a red shirt draft pick. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991. Sponsored by USAA, the 2023 Salute to Service Sign up for our newsletter and receive the mighty updates! By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Butkers field goal tied the game, but then this happened as time expired. He influenced the Rules Committee to change the field goal and kickoff rules in 1974, his seventh year in the league. And after watching him that day, we were convinced that he would add the dimension we were seeking. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, Young man, what are you doing tomorrow?. James and Augustine, Pray for Us! ", The first kick, with Stenerud using his toe as he had seen the others do, was a flop. In 1984, the Packers traded Stenerud to the Minnesota Vikings for a seventh-round draft choice. He is best known for being a Football Player. Late in his sophomore year, Stenerud was spotted kicking a football by the college's basketball coach, who relayed the news of the Norwegian's abilities to the football coach. Now he hustled up to Stram. Zodiac Sign: Jan Stenerud is a Sagittarius. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. On one of the other days Jan was running steps, a kicker on the football team practicing on his own encouraged Jan to join him. Jan Stenerud attended Montana State University. This one could hurt.. Sure it helped. Jan Stenerud was born on the 26th of November, 1942. Late in his sophomore year, Stenerud was spotted kicking a football by the college's basketball coach, who relayed the news of the Norwegian's abilities to the football coach. 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. Well, why not? Jan Stenerud, Kansas City Chiefs -- 1971 Before the AFC divisional playoff matchup between the Chiefs and Miami Dolphins on Christmas Day became the longest game in NFL history, Stenerud had a chance to end it in regulation. Then wife starts to scream, Heidi Gardner coaches Chiefs Travis Kelce in commercial for Saturday Night Live, Ned Yost enters Royals Hall of Fame as epitome of their rise from futility to glory, What a rebuilding year looks like: On Chiefs 2022 season and what it portends, Why Super Bowl victory over Eagles was Andy Reids masterpiece and cements his legacy, On a through-line from Satchel Paige to Patrick Mahomes and a Super Bowl breakthrough, Why Patrick Mahomes second NFL MVP award is more revealing recognition than the first, Brothers keeper: On the poignant stuff beyond the hype surrounding the Kelce Bowl. He kicked 17 field goals over 50 yards, and his personal best was a 55-yarder against Denver in 1970. Team Stats. Jan Stenerud (, stenrd born November 26, 1942) is a Norwegian former professional American football player for the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs (19671969), and the NFL's Chiefs (19701979), Green Bay Packers (19801983), and Minnesota Vikings (19841985). You made a real impact on me. His name was Jim Sweeney. They have one thing in common, however;Jan is named on all of them. Subscribe to. 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.