His list of outstanding achievements is long. Vahe Gregorian: 816-234-4868, @vgregorian. 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. The Chiefs had 79-year-old Pro Football Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud out at practice on Thursday. When I mentioned my teammates earlier I didn't say much about Lenny Dawson, a great guy from Alliance, Ohio, which you all know. Still, maybe its not a lot to ask to remember the rest of his story, too one that stretched the imagination, changed the game and helped the Chiefs to their only Super Bowl win. [9][10] Through 2017, the game remains the longest in NFL history at 82 minutes, 40 seconds of playing time, and was also the final football game in Municipal Stadium. And it came while Stenerud was running on the school track. 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. Yes, he is aware who the Chiefs are playing on Christmas Eve in the 2017 season. They were too young to see action in World War II and too old to participate in the fun of the Summer of Love. He makes you feel you cant give up a thing because he is so dangerous from anywhere inside the 50, Eller told Pro Football Weekly, adding, I think (Stenerud) was most valuable player in the game.. Get in-depth, sideline coverage of Kansas City area sports - only $1 a month. Ive been in Atlanta my whole life, now Im in Kansas City a different part of the country. After the 23-7 victory, Minnesota defensive end Carl Eller pronounced Stenerud the true most valuable player of the game. Packers Jan Stenerud | Green Bay Packers - packers.com "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 led the league with 21 field goals, a new Chiefs record, and scored 108 points, trailing only future Hall of Famer George Blandas 116 points. As Stenerud recalls it now, after badly topping his first attempt, he boomed several some 70 yards. Fred Arbanas, the Kansas City tight end, had been watching. Moreover, the crucial practice repetitions among snapper, holder and kicker were afterthoughts. He always handled himself with class and style, graceand dignity. Placekicker - Wikipedia We liked him coming out. Jan Stenerud was born in 1940s. "In fact, it's still embarrassing. Height: 6-2; Weight: 187. 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. Why try to change whats going well? Like Succop in 2009, Butker had been picked by the Panthers in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL draft. Chiefs NFL kicker Jan Stenerud's Football Hall of Fame tale | The Jan Stenerud -- another 'page' from Las Vegas' colorful past Jan Stenerud - Kicker i Kansas - YouTube Jan Stenerud, who was born November 26, 1942, in Fetsund, Norway, was an outstanding ski jumper who attended Montana State on a skiing scholarship. "The wind had been blowing hard all day and our punter was having trouble getting the ball back to the line of scrimmage. Chiefs meet with Florida defensive tackle ahead of NFL Draft. Jan is a total Hall of Fame package:productive, consistent and enduring. At the time of his retirement, he was the longest-tenured (19 years) professional football player to have played in the AFL. There were many factors in the 27-24 defeat in the last game at Municipal Stadium: The Chiefs committed four turnovers to the Dolphins two, and the defense couldnt keep Miami out of the end zone in the final minutes after taking a 24-17 lead. Please ignore . 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. Jan Stenerud on the Kansas City bench on Jan. 1, 1976. Kansas Citys star quarterback shattered a record no one thought could be broken. Every day he had me out there kicking 50 ballsand he was doing all the holding. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. He was hooked. One day, Stenerud was running stadium steps as part of his ski training and paused to kick a ball around with Bobcats kicker Dale Jackson. Jan Stenerud Wiki - Everipedia Now how in the hell was I going to help him if he ever got in a slump if I didn't know what he was doing? On our way there he had us stop off at Indiana State University. The street where he grew up, in the municipality Fetsund, was renamed in his honor. We are all very, very proud of you, Jan. Good luck and God bless. 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). Jan Stenerud Facts & Stats | Britannica Because of his strong leg and long kicks, he reduced the size of the playing field. I love you and I appreciate that for the rest of my life. 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. 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. 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. 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. They have one thing in common, however;Jan is named on all of them. The next year, though, he took college football by storm. I always felt that we would win or lose about four to six games a year with the kicking game. Jan is alive and kicking and is currently 80 years old. It is unbelievable. Then he was hit hard after kicking a field goal in the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. You were exceptional, and I salute you. Those two seasons represented the lowest point of a long, bad stretch of placekicking inconsistency for the Chiefs. Jan Stenerud Enshrinement speech - Pro Football Hall of Fame A native of Decatur, Georgia who attended Atlantas exclusive Westminster School, he is a product of Georgia Tech, from which he graduated with a degree in industrial engineering. They were my view of a perfect combination. The underdog Chiefs won 237, and Stenerud kicked three field goals, scoring the first nine points of the game. The Chiefs returned to the playoffs in 1971 to play the Dolphins in the Christmas classic double-overtime loss that remains so poignantly alive to Stenerud that he cant help but bring it up himself. I was confident because he was confident, Reid said. People who are born with Jupirer as the ruling planet are optimistic and have a big appetite for life. ", "How's that?" "One day of my junior year in 1964, I ran the stadium steps, and the kicker was kicking field goals. 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? [2] Craft notified football head coach Jim Sweeney of the Norwegian ski jumper's kicking abilities, and Sweeney offered him a tryout, which was successful. Stenerud was one of the first professional football players to be used as a dedicated kicker, because of his excellent "sharpshooting" ball-kicking performance. Now he hustled up to Stram. I can do this, he told the Journal-Constitution. He attended Montana State on a ski jumping scholarship (and was an All-American in 1964), but later was. For you barefoot kicking fans, heres a better video of Franklin kicking barefoot, this time for the Philadelphia Eagles. A Norweigan immigrant, Stenerud came to the United States on a ski jumping scholarship to Montana State. 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. He knows all the finer points to kicking.. 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. I guess he liked what he saw, Jan said of his audition for Sweeney on the eve of the season finale. Is Butker finally the right man for the job? During the 1969 season, Stenerud made a then-record 16 field goals in a row and 27 of 35 overall as the Chiefs went 11-3 and beat the Jets and Raiders to get to the Super Bowl. Everyone in the Hall of Fame was a great player, but only a few were the very best ever at their position. The Kansas City Chiefs have just concluded their 59th season as a professional football franchise. 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. She is not dating anyone. said Hank Stram, the Chiefs' burly little coach. Generation. A lot of things happened to me that I had no control over. Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. I will also be grateful for the opportunity to play professional football." The truth is, more than four decades later, Stenerud can vividly recall the circumstances of his MSU conversion from Nordic ski jumper to future Pro Football Hall of Fame kicker. When I came to Kansas City in 1967, he went out on the practice field several weeks before training camp started. He told Sweeney, Youve got to take a look at this Norwegian skier out there. Not so, he says. 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 . Ski jumping requires concentration and, of course, kicking field goals requires concentration as well. Website design & development by americaneagle.com copyright 2021 Pro Football hall of fame all rights reserved, Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic. 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 1980s were a crazy time for America and its institutions. But if I don't hear the click of the snap before the play ends, I get a horrible feeling that I may miss. 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. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 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. My favorite Packers: Jan Stenerud, the man who started it all He kicked 17 field goals over 50 yards, and his personal best was a 55-yarder against Denver in 1970. And the third and the fourth. BOBCAT CALENDAR: The life of Jan Stenerud, who was elected to the Big And that first-half miss from 29 yards out? The second kick: Thunk! The schools basketball coach noticed him booting the ball around the field, tipped off the football coaches, and the rest is history. said Stram, jabbing a finger at the charts. And after watching him that day, we were convinced that he would add the dimension we were seeking. He was a total team player. Zodiac Sign: Jan Stenerud is a Sagittarius. The Untold Misery of the Chiefs' Postseason Kicking Woes Monday Night Football - Oct. 17, 1983 -- Washington at Green Bay - ESPN The coach thought I'd do better with my style of kicking. While Santos got off to a rough start, eventually he became an effective (and popular) placekicker, becoming the most accurate field goal kicker in team history, making 84.8 percent of his field-goal attempts. It made a difference.". I'm even ashamed to tell my wife about it. Team Stats. Courtesy of BuckysBadgers, one name jumped out at me: Jan Stenerud. According to our Database, She has no children. Independence is one of their greatest strengths, but sometimes they're overly frank with others. The 80-year-old football player was born in Norway. Once they saw Stenerud kick, all doubts were erased. But he missed a potential go-ahead field goal with 35 seconds remaining. During a game, Stenerud gives in to assorted superstitions. Perhaps this was what had kept the Panthers from committing to him. Jan Stenerud Is No Football Player But He Wins Foot all Games I decided right then that he was the coach I wanted to play for, that he was a man who could help me.". Sports Illustrated 366K subscribers Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame Kicker Jan Stenerud teaches SI Now host Maggie Gray the proper technique for kicking a field goal. But I did get the ball out to mid-field. Monday Night Football - Where are they now: Jan Stenerud In his first collegiate season, Jan connected on seven field goals more than the Bobcats had converted in the previous three seasons combined. He holds the record of the longest field goal in Super Bowl history of 48 yards, which has been matched but not eclipsed. One of the field goals was blocked, for instance. When I think of Jan, I think of impact, and impact defined is "an instantaneous stroke communicated through a body in motion." So in 2009, the Chiefs took Ryan Succop with the last pick of the draft. If you see something that doesnt look right, contact us. He knows a lot more than I know. He'll show you how to put it on. 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). Stenerud played parts of four seasons in Green Bay from 1980 to 1983, converting 59 of 73 field goal attempts and 115 of 118 extra. 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. But that was about to change profoundly because of Stenerud, who revolutionized a major part of the game. Last year I made a point of touching the cleats of my kicking shoe a certain number of times before a kick. May 20, 2012 11,113 12,747 113. An interview with legend Jan Stenerud - The Norwegian American Jan Stenerud (/stnrud/, Norwegian: [stnrd] (listen); born November 26, 1942) is a Norwegian-American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with Kansas City Chiefs. Odds & lines subject to change. Please make sure JavaScript is enabled and then try loading this page again. free shipping Jan Stenerud Autographed Signed Auto Official Wilson NFL Football W/HOF 91 JSA WIN. The 6-2, 187-pound Stenerud excelled for 19 seasons and 263 games in pro football. 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. In a perfect world, Stenerud would have scored a touchdown behind the two guards who had pulled. He kicked 11 field goals and 49 extra points (in 50 attempts) to set an NCAA record with 82 points. He never changed. When training camp arrived and with Succop due a big payday the team brought in competition: free agent Cairo Santos. 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. 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. The whole time, Im thinking, Im ready for this. 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. 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. He was the longest-tenured player in the now-defunct American Football League, playing in the league for 19 years. Ryan Succop's new deal (reportedly $4M per year) should become an important data point for Graham Gano. Needless to say, he made a dramatic impact. Sponsored by USAA, the 2023 Salute to Service Sign up for our newsletter and receive the mighty updates! By the time he was 20, he was among the best jumpers in the nation and performing in front of 80,000 people at Norways most imposing skiing site, Holmenkollbakken. In our Walkthroughs post yesterday, we discussed what players wed bring back from the pre-Wolf/Holmgren/Favre era to improve the 2020 Packers. "The track surrounds the football practice field," said Stenerud. He joined the football team his senior academic year and ended up playing two seasons of varsity football. "Jan adds an exciting new dimension to our offense," says Stram. 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. Hed become all the more enchanted with the sport after attending the nearby Oslo Olympics in 1952. Jan Stenerud (/stnrud/, Norwegian:[stnrd] (listen); born November 26, 1942) is a Norwegian-American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs have had decades of missteps after decades of excellence. My dad, who passed away two years ago, always had ambitious dreams and goals, while my mother had always been a realist. 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. 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: . Super Bowl IV and some of the great coaching with Hank Stram, of course, who won the Coach of the Year title four times. No one has more respect for the people seated behind me that are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Baw Bakery. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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. He made five field goals twice against Buffalo the year we won the Super Bowl. Butkers field goal tied the game, but then this happened as time expired. Kemp will join new Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy in the nations capital. I did. They used skills learned in one sport--soccer -- to become successful in another -- football. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Jan Stenerud Career Stats | NFL.com Well I saw that kicker for Houston (85 Cotton Bowl) kick barefoot on a kickoff. Thunk! Sign up for the Jan Stenerud Phone Number, Address, Age, Contact Info, Public Records And this one day, I decided to go down and kick a few footballs, and all of us played a lot of soccer, and I guess I had one urge to try this oval ball. George and Lou, your talents were remarkable. He didn't have a prima donna bone in his body. I just know getting the ball through the uprights is good, but Dustin he knows the finer points [from] doing it so long as a veteran, and [as] one of the best holders in the league. And painfulhe was wearing tennis shoes. General 73 SPD 77 ACC 64 AGI Kicking 99 KPW 93 KAC Fake 37 SAC 33 MAC 38 THP 23 RUN He won Super Bowl IV under Chiefs head coach Hank Stram. The Chiefs might run through a few, for instance, on a Friday afternoon. 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. 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. He kicked with his toe like [50 Greatest Vikings member] Fred Cox," Stenerud explained. Over the years, Stram and Dawson (the holder) and Bobby Bell (the snapper) have told a handful of interviewers about the miscommunication: Stenerud was so intent on selling the fake that Bell worried he didnt know it was on. Jan Stenerud Autographed Signed 8X10 Photo Packers Kicking Fg JSA WIN. And I didn't know anything about football. He was a consistent role model for his family, his university, pro football and the great fans of this country. My dad, who was never afraid of thinking big, and my mother, who realized that goals could not be reached without an all-out effort. "But it was me it helped, not Jan. Chiefs' Justin Reid makes field goal in front of Jan Stenerud at OTAs But after Lowery left the team, the word consistency hasnt generally been associated with Chiefs placekickers. I did. By 2014, Succop had been solid if not great for the Chiefs over five seasons. As young adults during the McCarthy Era, many members of this generation felt it was dangerous to speak out. He is best known for being a Football Player. 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. Stenerud loved soccer as a child, and played it well, but he was baffled by football and its odd pace. Dustin is like a kicker whisperer, Toub told the media after Butkers first game. He speaks that language. When the Packers signed Norway native Jan Stenerud before the 13th game of the 1980 season . The Game That Keeps Giving - The Washington Post More tangibly, at a time goalposts still were at the goal line, he suddenly made any excursion into the opponents side of the field a threat to score. And look at this: 136 out of 153. Jans path to pro football falls into the only in America category of strange-but-true stories. This one could hurt.. So he snapped it to a surprised Dawson, and the out-of-rhythm Stenerud tried to adjust but missed. Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels. After completing a training session, Stenerud noticed some football players kicking field goals and, recalling his background in soccer, he figured hed give it a try. 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. Meanwhile, even his troubles that day are routinely oversimplified in the shorthand of scapegoating. Stenerud retired after the 1985 season, his 19th (3 AFL, 16 NFL). A reader suggestion gives us a great opportunity to reflect on Jan Steneruds brief but excellent run in Green Bay. Your access to this page has been blocked. An athlete who excelled in track and field, soccer. On top of the list we put together, our readers suggested a few great names in the comments. He was named the Outstanding Offensive Player in the 1972 Pro Bowl. It seemed like a great time to catch you up on Butkers story, and what we hope will be the beginning of another long period of excellence in the Chiefs kicking game. To this day, Stenerud rather nobly declines to comment on that play.